NEVADA (KTNV) — Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak ended the state's mask mandate on Thursday.

Masks will no longer be required inside most public places including casinos.

However, masks are still mandated in airports and on public transportation.

Sisolak also clarified that while masks will not be mandated on the state level, he said employers and organizations may still set their own policies around masks.

“Just like vaccines, masks are still a great tool we have to slow the spread of the virus. I expect going forward to still see Nevadans and visitors occasionally utilizing masks when they are out in public,” said Sisolak.

For schools, Sisolak says local districts can come up with their own policies.

Sisolak joins a growing list of Democratic governors who have announced plans to lift mandates this week as COVID-19 cases drop.

Nevada recorded its single highest day of new cases on Jan. 10 with 7,865 cases. Now, the state is averaging around 1,280 cases per day.

Meanwhile, the CDC recommends that everyone ages 2 and older should continue to wear a mask in indoor public settings.

This story was originally reported by Abel Garcia and Amy Abdelsayed on ktnv.com.

LAS VEGAS — A newly-launched tool by Nevada state officials gives digital access to their COVID-19 vaccination records through QR codes.

SMART Health QR Code uses data stored in Nevada WebIZ, the statewide immunization information system.

The codes, unique to each individual, have the same information as a CDC vaccine card: name, date of birth, vaccine date, and type.

It serves as an official State of Nevada digital record that a SMART Health verifier app can only scan.

How to get a SMART Health QR Code

To get a unique QR code that contains the same information as your CDC vaccine card, visit izrecord.nv.gov and search for your record.

According to a FAQ sheet from the state, the SMART Health Card QR Code will be visible at the bottom of the COVID-19 Vaccination Record.

Download your record and save your QR code as a digital file on your phone, computer, or anywhere you store your digital information.

Is the information secure?

The state says the SMART Health QR Codes are generated at random each time you pull the immunization record. They are not stored on a server.

SMART Health QR Codes do not link to Nevada WebIZ to verify the information.

All patient and COVID-19 vaccine information is stored in the SMART Health QR Code, protected by cryptography.

A regular smartphone camera cannot scan this QR code, and only verified mobile apps can interpret the data.

How to get help

If your record is incorrect or you can't find it, the state has a COVID-19 Helpline at 1 (800) 401-0946.

To learn more, check out the FAQ sheet or visit nvhealthresponse.nv.gov.

Information provided by Nevada Health Response.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

A Raytown, Missouri, mother and grandmother said that COVID-19 nearly killed her three times. She said she was unvaccinated and barely survived.

Dakeela Washington's purse is full of pills — evidence of the burden she now carries.

"I went from taking one to two medications to taking 14 medications now," said Washington, who survived COVID-19. "I'm sitting here because God saved my life."

Washington was unvaccinated when she contracted the virus this summer.

"I was in the hospital from this day to this day," she said.

That day was July 6.

"(I) drove myself to the hospital and collapsed in the parking lot because I couldn't breathe. When I got there, my oxygen was 60," Washington said.

It was the last thing she remembered.

"I didn't know 60 was really low," Washington said.

She said she woke up on Aug. 28 and nearly two months had passed.

"The doctor came in, like, a week later and was, like, 'Ms. Washington, I almost had to sign you off,'" she said.

Washington said she had no clue what he meant, but then soon learned.

"I had a heart attack. I had a stroke. And I died three times. I coded three times," she said.

Washington left the hospital in October after learning how to move and talk again.

"I can't grip anything," she said.

Hospital tubes left a mark, too.

"My speech therapist said that's a survivor's scar," she said.

Washington said she was at first hesitant to get the vaccine.

"'I ain't getting the vaccine. I don't know what they did.' I was one of those and look what happened to me. It changed my life," Washington said. "It changed me."

Washington just received her second dose and is giving her own dose of advice.

"Please get vaccinated," she said.

Washington said her whole family was unvaccinated against COVID-19 at the time she got sick. Since then, her family has received the vaccine.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the coronavirus pandemic keeps unleashing "a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering."

The U.N. chief said anti-foreigner sentiment has surged online and in the streets, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories have spread, and COVID-19-related anti-Muslim attacks have occurred.

Guterres says migrants and refugees have been vilified as a source of the virus and then denied access to medical treatment.

He says older people, journalists, whistleblowers, health professionals, aid workers and human rights defenders are also being targeted.

Guterres appealed for an all-out effort to end hate speech globally."

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democrats are pushing Congress’ biggest coronavirus relief bill yet toward expected House passage Friday.

The measure is a $3 trillion behemoth that liberal lawmakers say a beleaguered country badly needs. Most Republicans oppose it say it's simply a bloated election-year Democratic wish list.

The bill, called “The HEROES Act,” would pump almost $1 trillion to states and local governments, renew $1,200 cash payments for individuals, and extend a $600 weekly supplemental federal unemployment benefit.

The package also includes another round of stimulus payments, offering $1,200 in direct cash aid to individuals and up to $6,000 per household.

The bill would also provide about $75 billion more in funding for virus testing, contact tracing and treatment.

Another $200 billion would be set aside for a "Heroes Fund" which would provide hazard pay for essential workers, such as front-line health care employees.

The package also includes a $25 billion bailout for the U.S. Postal Service.

Additionally, a provision in the bill would provide up to $10,000 in student loan forgiveness for federal and private student loan borrowers.

Democratic leaders were pressing ahead Friday despite grumbling from moderates about the measure’s massive price tag and progressives who wanted bolder steps, like money to cover workers’ salaries.

As is, the bill will never pass the GOP-run Senate or get President Donald Trump's signature.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already said the 1,815 measure is Democrats' opening offer in what is expected to lead to bipartisan negotiations.

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge has extended the deadline for the release of migrant children from detention, as advocates for detained families feared the government would create what they called a new form of family separation.

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles on Thursday granted a request for a 10-day extension to release children held in family detention centers longer than 20 days.

In her ruling last month setting the Friday deadline, Gee said the family detention centers "are 'on fire' and there is no more time for half measures."

According to NBC News, Gee stated back in June that COVID-19 had made detention centers unsafe.

Gee's recent ruling did not extend to parents detained with their children, the Associated Press reported.

Recent Vanderbilt University graduates who made a germ-resistant phone case after contracting COVID-19 have now sold 1,000 cases. They are donating as many cases to health care workers.

"Now that they have them in their hands, just the positive response we have been getting is just something that we weren't fully expecting," said Nick O'Brien.

RELATED: College seniors create germ-resistant copper phone case after recovering from COVID-19

After contracting the novel coronavirus, Nick O'Brien, Isaac Lichter, and Andrew Medland founded Aeris and created their first product, a copper-coated phone case.

"Copper is very effective at continuously killing germs, a whole variety of microbes including the novel coronavirus," said Isaac Lichter.

In a matter of months, the entrepreneurs who graduated from Vanderbilt, moved to San Diego and are now producing their product on an industrial scale. They are able to fill orders as soon as they come in and make good on their promise to donate a case to a healthcare worker for each one purchased.

On Friday, Aeris donated phone cases to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

"I am very excited to see what these 250 healthcare workers have to say," said Lichter.

Next, the company plans to donate cases to hospitals in their hometowns, including New York City and San Diego.

Aeris is working on new designs that incorporate copper.

"We see the future as copper-covered," said Lichter. "We knew we didn't want to be a phone case company. We see the real value in this."

WTVF's Hannah McDonald first reported this story.

Moving is a part of growing up: from home to dorm or apartment, from apartment into a condo or home, from one part of the country to another. While the reasons can vary, this year the coronavirus pandemic is motivating a lot of moves.

Realtor groups around the country have reported that home sales continue to be strong in many areas around the country, as buyers look for a new place to call their work-from-home office. The National Association of Realtors says August is poised to have a home buying peak, with year-over-year growth in home sales, buyer demand and housing prices.

Since many are discovering work can be done from a home located almost anywhere during the pandemic, moving trends are favoring smaller cities and reportedly lower rents and home prices.

Moving help website HireaHelper.com released results of a recent study on 2020 moving trends. They looked at more than 25,000 moves booked since March 11, 2020 to see where people were headed as the country manages the coronavirus pandemic.

According to HireaHelper, 15 percent of all moves they tracked were motivated by the pandemic. Of those moves, 37 percent were moving because they could no longer afford to live where they were living.

Their study also found high-rent cities like San Francisco and New York saw more people leaving than moving in; both cities had 80 percent more people moving out of the area than moving in. New York as a state had 64 percent more people leaving than moving in.

Meanwhile, the state of Idaho saw an increase of 194 percent more people moving in compared to leaving. The next closest state with high move-in compared to move-out numbers was New Mexico with a 44 percent increase.

According to a survey conducted in July by the Pew Research Center, one-in-five Americans (roughly 22 percent) have relocated because of the Covid-19 pandemic or know someone who has. Roughly 6 percent of those surveyed say someone has moved into their household because of the pandemic.

Overall those most likely being motivated to move or to have more people move into their home because of the pandemic are young adults, 37 percent of 18 to 29 year olds surveyed.

In that age group, roughly one-in-ten of them said they have moved because of the coronavirus outbreak. The reasons varied from colleges closing campus, work hours cutting back or being laid off.

Typically, there is a slow down in home sales and moving in the fall and winter. The National Association of Realtors says the pandemic has pushed the normal summer peak by a few months into August. Time will tell if the pandemic impacts moving trends into the later part of 2020.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s Auditor of Public Accounts, Mike Harmon, said the state’s Office of Unemployment Insurance is unable to accurately determine the amount of claims still outstanding while a large backlog of claims remain unresolved.

In a letter to Kentucky’s Finance and Administration Cabinet Secretary on Tuesday, he noted that the removal of some internal controls in order to hasten the processing of unemployment benefit payments increased the risk of fraud and misstatements. He also reported that the audit found that payments were paid to claimants without verifying whether or not they were eligible.

“It is imperative for UI officials to address the problems that led to this issue, so that reliable data can be provided for the current fiscal year and going forward,” Harmon said.

In a statement on the auditor’s report, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Labor Cabinet insisted that the audit report did not include information on how the Office of Unemployment Insurance cooperated with the auditor to provide numbers, and added that the auditor did not accept the information the cabinet offered.

“Kentuckians can expect the Governor’s next budget will include funding to upgrade the unemployment insurance system, to replace the more than 90 employees the General Assembly cut in previous budgets and reopen offices to help Kentucky workers when they need it most,” Kevin Kinnaird said.

In Delaware on Tuesday, President-elect Joe Biden criticized the Trump administration on their handling of distributing COVID-19 vaccines.

Biden said the current administration is falling way behind when it comes to distributing vaccines. "It is not progressing as it should," Biden said.

Biden said Trump promised 20 million Americans would be vaccinated by the end of December, but only 2 million have received the first dose. Biden added that it would take years, not months, for all Americans to get vaccinated at the current rate.

WATCH RECAP:

Biden said he aims to distribute 100 million vaccine shots in his initial 100 days in office, adding that the current vaccination effort would need to be up five to six times to reach his goal of one million shots a day.

"I'm going to move heaven and earth to get us going in the right direction," the President-elect said, noting he would also use the Defense Production Act to boost the production of materials for COVID vaccines.

"We're going to get through this. Brighter days are coming, but it's going to take all the grit and determination we have as Americans to get it done," Biden said. "We need to be honest: The next few weeks and months are going to be very tough, very tough for our nation. Maybe the toughest during this entire pandemic."

Biden added that in his first 100 days, there would be a federal mask mandate on federal properties, but states and individuals would have to be part of the solution.

After pointing out former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's shifting his stance on masks, Biden called on President Trump to "clearly and unambiguously" promote mask-wearing and the vaccine during his final weeks in office.

"Look, my ability to change the direction this pandemic starts in three weeks, with thousands dying every day between now and then," Biden said. "If we just step up together, wear masks, socially distance, wash our hands, avoid large indoor gatherings ― I know all these are not easy to ask. But I'm asking you to make a sacrifice. You're already making tremendous sacrifices every single day."

There's more evidence that the pandemic has contributed to another public health crisis — an increase in the obesity rate.

New federal data shows that 16 states have adult obesity rates of 35% or higher. That's an increase from 12 states in 2019 and just nine states in 2018.

The problem has exploded over the last two decades. In 2000, no state had an adult obesity rate of 25%. Today, there are only a handful of areas where the obesity rate is currently below 25%.

The nonpartisan, non-profit group Trust For America's Health has been tracking the issue.

"It's about the design of our neighborhoods and ensuring that neighborhoods have walkable and bikeable paths, that people have the ability to engage in physical activity or access to parks and community centers and gyms," Trust For America's Health CEO and president Nadine Gracia said.

The group says high obesity rates have a systemic, social, and economic impact on the country — and the pandemic has only made those issues worse.

In communities of color, the obesity rates have an even higher impact.

The new data shows that 22 states had adult obesity rates at 35% or higher among Hispanic residents. For Black Americans, 35 states have obesity rates at 35% or higher.

"We see, for example, higher job loss and greater food insecurity in households of color," Garcia said. "Black and Latino households had greater rates of food insecurity (during the pandemic). Their children were in virtual learning as opposed to in-person learning, with less access to school meals."

The report from Trust For America's Health points to larger policy solutions, like increased funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's obesity prevention program. Garcia says that the program currently only has enough money to support 16 states.

"We should close tax loopholes and business incentives for unhealthy food advertising, which disproportionately is directed to youth of color — in particular, Black and Latino youth," Garcia said.

The CDC is now providing community-level data on obesity so it can be addressed on a more local level.

A lifeline for an estimated 7.5 million people is set to run out.

Enhanced and pandemic-related unemployment benefits expire on Monday, Sept. 6.

This as COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to rise due to the delta variant.

About 800,000 New York City residents will stop receiving the benefits after Sept. 6, according to a study released this week by the New School’s Center for New York City Affairs.

The loss of benefits also comes as the nationwide ban on evictions is over.

Last week, the Supreme Court knocked down the CDC’s federal eviction moratorium.

It was expected to be in place through October 3.

President Biden has urged states with high unemployment rates to keep the enhanced $300 weekly benefit program going.

However, no state leaders have announced plans for an extension.

This story was originally reported by Axel Turcios on Newsy.com.

OLATHE, Kan. —

Before vaccines were available, every member of a Kansas family got COVID-19.

Nearly eight months later, they're still battling the virus and say their lives will never be the same.

"I thought that because we were a pretty healthy family, that we would handle it pretty well," Amy Diediker said.

The Diediker family of five had no idea what was coming. In January, one by one, each contracted COVID-19 and they all got very sick.

"Every day, it felt like, which fire is the one I need to put out today? Because it felt like there were three or four every day," Diediker said.

The symptoms varied. Diediker said she had chest pain and shortness of breath. For 17 days, her husband Ryan was so weak he could barely walk. But she said the worst case, by far, was 10-year-old Vivien.

"When you're seeing your child in that much pain and with symptoms that severe and the doctors are telling you, 'There's nothing we can do,'" Diediker said. "It was the most hopeless I have ever felt as a parent."

The Diedikers are an athletic family. Amy Diediker is an exercise instructor. But she, Vivien, and her son, Owen, are now categorized as COVID-19 long haulers. They still have symptoms — and doctors have very few answers.

They're all vaccinated now, even young Vivien, who received special-use permission for the vaccine because she's now considered high risk. Diediker said that she gets emotional about people choosing not to get vaccinated.

"I wish people could come spend a day, seeing what happened to our lives, seeing all the doctors' appointments that we juggle," she said. "I had a positive test, and seven and a half months later, we are still trying to pick up the pieces. So please, please take the time to go get vaccinated."

Diediker also urges people to abide by mask mandates. She said she believes her family contracted the virus after attending a small family gathering without masking. Diediker said it is a decision she will always regret.

After pausing operations due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sweet, seasonal treats Peeps are coming back and just in time for Easter.

Just Born, the marshmallow treats makers, announced last September that they were temporarily suspending production of its candy brands to protect its plant workers from the coronavirus.

After taking a break for Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day, the company tweeted on Monday that they were back and "ready for Easter."

In a press release, the brand said that they resumed limited production in May after implementing safety measures to focus on meeting the demand for Easter.

As they gear up for the Easter season, the company has released new specialty Peeps, including Hot Tamales.

LAS VEGAS — A Las Vegas feed store says it's facing a shortage of a drug designed to treat parasitic worms in large animals because customers are purchasing it as a treatment for COVID-19.

The drug, Ivermectin, was the subject of a warning for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. Though it's been studied in connection with treating COVID-19, the FDA strongly recommends against non-prescription human consumption of the drug.

But that's not stopping people from trying to get their hands on Ivermectin in the Las Vegas valley.

V&V Tack and Feed normally stocks and sell Ivermectin for use on horses. But right now, they're completely sold out of the horse dewormer, and store associate Shelly Smith suspects a lot of her customers aren't using it as intended.

"I had a gentleman come in, and he was an older gentleman. He told me that his wife wanted him to be on the Ivermectin plan," Smith said. "I immediately brought him over here because at that time, I had this sign hung up, and I told him this isn't safe for you to take. And he says, 'Well, we've been taking it, and my only side effect is I can't see in the morning.' That's a big side effect, so you probably shouldn't take it."

Smith says the demand for Ivermectin started increasing months ago, so she decided to put out a warning sign next to the drug.

"The first sign came about several months ago when you started seeing articles about Ivermectin treating COVID," Smith said. "So when I was ordering my Ivermectin, I noticed our distributors had that [warning], so I figured let me hang one too just to let people know, 'Do not take this.'"

Smith says the demand for the drug has continued to increase in recent weeks, and she's been receiving four or five customer calls a day inquiring about Ivermectin. That's why Smith hung up a second sign, now requiring customers to present a picture of their horse before they can buy Ivermectin.

"I don't want people taking Ivermectin horse wormer because it's horse wormer," Smith said. "You need to prove to me that you have a horse in order for me to sell you this product because you should not be taking this product. This is not for humans to take. This is to treat parasites in horses.

Dr. AJ Manship at Desert Pines Equine Center concurs. He doesn't recommend any humans take Ivermectin — and most animals, for that matter.

"It can have a lot of serious consequences in people and actually in some veterinary species as well, especially if the correct dose is not administered," Manship said. "In animals, we saw a lot of neurologic diseases, so seizures, coma, death if it's overdosed. A lot of people that own shepherd dogs will be familiar with this. They're very sensitive to this drug, and it can kill them. Any time these drugs are used in an unintended manner, there's a really high likelihood of complication, and it's just not safe."

One of the repercussions of the Ivermectin is that horse owners now have none to give their animals. Shelly Smith says she can't find a single supplier who has Ivermectin in stock right now, and she has no guarantee that will change anytime soon.

This story was originally published by Ross DiMattei on Scripps station KTNV in Las Vegas.

HAMILTON, Ohio — After the 2020 Butler County Fair was shut down early due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 fair is nearing the end of its first successful week, the financial impact of which can be felt all year long.

“My favorite part of the fair is probably the food,” attendee Rick Fornshell said. “That’s what we’re here for.”

Folks from all over the area come for the food, games, rides and, of course, the farm animals.

Bazan, Josh

“We’re very excited,” Butler County Agricultural Society president Doug Turner said. “It appears most of the public has come back out, opened things back up.”

The 2021 fair has all the events, entertainment and activities that were absent from the event last year. Coronavirus concerns caused the 2020 fair to close to the general public and shut down a few days early.

“Last year, all we had was the Junior Fair Show and all we let happen was the exhibitors’ families come in,” Turner said.

Hurting from the lack of funds from the 2020 fair, the Butler County Agricultural Society relied on support from the county commissioners and a $50,000 grant from the state of Ohio to make it through a difficult year. Organizers said it's encouraging to see so many people out supporting the 2021.

“It’s huge because we have an event once a year and if we don’t have our event, we don’t have the money to keep our lights on and pay our bills,” Turner said. “We made it, and we’re doing well again, so this fair should help us a bunch.”

Bazan, Josh

New to this year’s fair was a competition called “Animal and Me,” which allows children with special needs to get involved in showing animals.

Guests were impressed and said they think the fair is better than ever.

“It looks great,” Fornshell said. “I noticed the amount of rides here. This is more than I’ve seen in years, actually. I hope everyone is having a good time.”

The 2021 Butler County Fair has events on Friday, July 30, and Saturday, July 31, before wrapping up for the season.

LAS VEGAS — Many people are wondering if you have already had COVID-19 should you get the vaccine? And if so, when?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they recommend anyone who has tested positive for coronavirus to wait 90 days after testing positive before getting vaccinated.

The CDC also recommends COVID-19 patients who have recovered from the virus and received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma as part of COVID-19 treatment wait 90 days before vaccination.

"Currently, there are no data on the safety and efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in persons who received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma as part of COVID-19 treatment. Based on the estimated half-life of such therapies and evidence suggesting that reinfection is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection, vaccination should be deferred for at least 90 days, as a precautionary measure until additional information becomes available, to avoid potential interference of the antibody therapy with vaccine-induced immune responses," the CDC's website says.

Southern Nevada Health District agrees with the CDC guidelines and a spokesperson for SNHD told 13 Action News, "The 90-day timeframe is based on the CDC guidance for people who have had COVID-19 and recovered. We do follow CDC guidelines."

And while Nevada doesn't have a system in place to flag people who have tested positive before making an appointment, they are hopeful people will heed the guidance.

Read the full CDC vaccine guidance click here.

This story was first published by KTNV.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

A cup of coffee is how many people start the day. While prices have gone up during the pandemic, they could go up again.

"In the gas world, you and I would call this price gouging," said Tracy Allen, who's been in the coffee business since the 1980s.

Allen runs a company called Brewed Behavior, helping developing countries grow and sell coffee.

The world's largest coffee producer is Brazil and it is in a drought. But Allen said that's not the only thing pushing prices.

"Because of COVID, there was so much downtime, and nobody's working, nothing's moving, and now everybody's gearing back up, there's a shortage of shipping containers," Allen said.

With a shortage of shipping containers and coffee beans sitting on foreign docks, the price to ship it here has gone way up.

"So for me to get a container from Sumatra right now, which is typically $1,000 to $1,500 to get it to the U.S. is now close to $6,000," Allen said.

If you pay $10 a pound for coffee at the grocery store, Allen said do not be surprised to see that same coffee selling for $13 to $14 a pound. He also said that he looks for big sellers, such as Starbucks and Dunkin to raise prices, too.

The even bigger question is once shipments return to normal, will the price come down?

"And then the real question is, how many of those roasters are going to go back and take the price back down once it's up there right?" Allen said.

"So do you see this price hike as something permanent?" sister station KMBC asked.

"I'll fall short of saying it's temporary. I wish I knew," Allen said.

A Grain Valley, Missouri, mother talks about losing her daughter to the delta variant of COVID-19.

She said she is speaking in hopes of preventing another family from experiencing this pain.

Tricia Jones, 45, lived a mile from her mother Debora Carmichael. The two visited often.

"I still find myself wanting to text her and then I'm like, 'What am I doing?'" Carmichael said.

She said Jones was extremely close to her children as well. They loved drives in the rain,
surprise trips to a store or restaurant and attending Blue Springs Christian Church.

"Any opportunity she got to hang out with her kids and do something with them, she was all about that," Carmichael said.

"She never stopped fighting for her kids," said Jones' daughter, Adriana.

When Carmichael said she felt sick after her first COVID-19 vaccination, Jones decided to skip it, and hope for the best.

"She was also thinking, 'Yes. You know, I might get it, but I'll take my chances because you can recover,'" Carmichael said.

"We were like, 'Mom, please just go and get it,'" Adriana Jones said.

Her family said that after contracting the delta variant of COVID-19, she died June 9.

"I was actually the one who felt her last actual breath -- one without the ventilator," Adriana Jones said. "And it hurt."

They hope no one else goes through this. The family encourages others to get the vaccine, and if not, wear a mask and socially distance no matter how inconvenient.

"I miss her every day. I miss the everyday stuff, ordinary stuff that you do with people when they're in your life," Carmichael said.

A new study suggests that increasing the number of people eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine could make it harder for people to get a shot.

The study, from Surgo Ventures in Washington DC, compared each state's percentage of people eligible with the number of doses they administered for every 100,000 people.

"What we generally saw was that states that had a more narrow focus on their vaccination efforts generally had a more success at rolling out the vaccine to more people," says Senior Research Scientist Nicholas Stewart.

Among the states with the lowest percentage of the population eligible, Connecticut, Hawaii, and New Mexico led the way in administering doses. New Mexico gave out 51,686 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for every 100,000 people.

Conversely, states like Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi all had 70% or more of their population eligible but only distributed around 35,000 doses or less.

Stewart says the numbers show that states had logistical problems keeping up with demand when they increased eligibility.

"When you expand eligibility to people all across your entire state, the supply chain logistics get extremely complicated," he says.

High eligibility rates didn't always mean low dose distribution. West Virginia bucked the trend by opening up vaccines to 72% of their population but was still seventh in the nation at distribution. They gave out 42,620 doses per 100,000 people.

Similarly, not every state that kept eligibility limited did a good job at giving out shots. California had the seventh most strict eligibility rules in the study but only gave out 36,108 doses per 100,000. That put them 37th in the nation.

Stewart says West Virginia did well because they had a single, centralized system that covered the entire state. California, meanwhile, went county-by-county for vaccine distribution.

"If each county is telling their residents that they have a different eligible population in their specific county, there's going to be confusion across the entire state," Stewart says. "That's going to create obvious impediments to that process."

Stewart says the study isn't a call to increase restrictions, especially since President Biden has already said he wants every American eligible to get a vaccine by May 1.

Instead, he believes the numbers show that states need to increase focus on their vaccine distribution infrastructure. He says there need to be more vaccination sites at easy-to-access locations, more supply of vaccines, and easier ways to book appointments. He also says states need to beef up their IT infrastructure to avoid frustration with online appointment systems.

"As we move forward, what we need to do before opening up eligibility is try to solve for some of these bottlenecks in terms of the vaccination process," says Stewart. "Every state needs to be building upon the infrastructure that is already in place."

To help, Surgo created a "COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage Index." It gives every county in the country a score on five factors that could slow down vaccine distribution. Stewart says identifying weaknesses will let local governments address the problems before increasing eligibility.

This story was first published by Jared Aarons at KGTV.

The latest food shortage to hit restaurants across the nation amid the coronavirus pandemic is ketchup.

According to USA Today and the Wall Street Journal, restaurants are in short supply of ketchup packets, which restaurants have relied on for takeout orders.

According to the WSJ, the shortage hit popular restaurants like Texas Roadhouse and Long John Silver's.

The newspaper reported the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had asked restaurants to ditch shared ketchup bottles for packets or other single-use containers.

"Avoid using or sharing items that are reusable, such as menus, condiments, and any other food containers," the CDC wrote. "Instead, use disposable or digital menus (menus viewed on cellphones), single-serving condiments, and no-touch trash cans and doors."

According to the restaurant-business platform Plate IQ, the ketchup shortage has caused packet prices to rise 13% since January 2020.

USA Today reported that Kraft Heinz is working to increase its supplies to produce 12 billion packets a year.

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada's largest private employer, MGM Resorts International, has announced sweeping new options for guests and conventions at its properties as well as unveiling a new on-site vaccine clinic for employees and their families inside Mandalay Bay.

The company says employees can go while they are on the clock to get a shot.

"It's been really incredible to see our employees come in," said Ashley Eddy with MGM Resorts International.

Next Tuesday, MGM will open the vaccine offer for their property entertainers as well as employees at venues located within MGM hotel and casinos.

"I think the biggest needle movers is getting those big citywide, those big conferences and conventions back," said John Flynn, vice president of administration for MGM Resorts International.

"Getting a lot of people back in our theaters and a lot of people back in T-Mobile Arena at Golden Knights games, that's the target, we just have to keep doing things in the right direction," added Flynn.

The company is also trying to jump start the convention business and announced multiple partnerships to help facilitate testing and screening of participants of larger events.

"It's all about perception and removing barriers whether it's talking about conventioneers or just the average leisure visitor," said Anthony Curtis of LasVegasAdvisor.com

Curtis calls the announcements "significant" and positions Las Vegas and specifically MGM Resorts International as a leader in safety for the return of large conventions.

MGM also announced guests can request in-room COVID testing with costs between $140 and $230 dollars.

This article was written by Joe Bartels for KTNV.

CARSON CITY — During Wednesday’s public federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services says it learned that a Nevadan was one of the six reported serious reactions to the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

The state of Nevada was not informed of the reported reaction until the live, public meeting on Wednesday, according to the Nevada Health Response team. At that time, it was reported that the person in Nevada is an 18-year-old woman who reported a blood clot and a hemorrhage without an immediate word of recovery.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a joint statement recommending a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine while six serious reactions were investigated.

Also on Tuesday, the state of Nevada paused the use of the vaccine.

"Right now, the risk of death from the disease is very high. The risk of the vaccinations very, very low," said Dr. Brian Labus, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "We don't want to say that you shouldn't be concerned at all about it, of course; that's why we're looking into things, but we're talking about something that is a very rare event if it is indeed related to the vaccine.“

Following Wednesday’s ACIP announcement, the Nevada Health Response team says DHHS immediately reached out to federal partners for more information and to understand why the report was not provided to the state.

"Whether the case was identified in Nevada or California or Arizona, that still matters to everybody, not just Nevadans," Labus said. "We need to look at what happened nationwide. And is not like Nevada has a role in investigating that one case, this is something that needs to be investigated through the FDA the manufacture to make sure that the vaccine is safe to everyone nationwide."

As of Monday, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had been administered in the United States.

Anyone who has received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine within the last month and develops a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.

Health care providers are required to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System here.

This story was originally published by Jordan Gartner on KTNV in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS — A Nevada 18-year-old is in a fight for her life after suffering an extremely rare and severe case of blood clots after receiving Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, according to family friends.

Family friends have identified 18-year-old Emma Burkey as one of the six cases of clotting in the U.S. that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating in connection with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“She started having seizures, then they took her to the hospital, and then they realized she had blood clots in the brain,” said Bret Johnson, a family friend who says he is in constant contact with Burkey's parents.

Luckily, Burkey's condition is improving.

“She’s starting to realize what has happened to her, where she is, slowly,” Johnson said.

Things weren’t always as promising.

“For a while there, her situation and condition was completely unknown. Very scary and very iffy, honestly,” Johnson said.

Burkey was first treated at St. Rose Hospital in Henderson, Nevada, where she was in an induced coma and on a ventilator.

Later, she was airlifted to Loma Linda Hospital in Southern California where she remains with her family.

The FDA and the CDC recommended a pause in the use of the vaccine last week after confirming six cases of a rare but severe blood clot disorder that happened after the patients had the shot. About 7 million people in the U.S. had safely received a dose of the J&J vaccine prior to the pause.

So far, the clotting had only presented in patients that suffered from thrombocytopenia — low levels of blood platelets — and those who had histories of blood clotting issues.

“This situation really rocked us to the core,” said Heiden Ratner, another family friend.

Ratner is the senior pastor at WALK Church, where Burkey is in the kid's ministry. Ratner says Burkey has also babysat his family's children.

“We were challenged, we were confused, and it drove us to prayer,” Ratner said.

The community has launched a GoFundMe for the Burkey family which surpassed its $10,000 goal in just four days.

This story was originally published by Austin Carter on KTNV in Las Vegas.