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Staples offers free COVID-19 vaccination card lamination

Vaccination record cards are shown before residents are inoculated, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, at the Isles of Vero Beach assisted and independent senior living community in Vero Beach, Fla. The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care locations in nearly every state. Now it may be time to laminate the CDC card given to you after you receive your vaccination for COVID-19. After receiving both doses of the vaccine, guests can bring their card to any Staples location to have it laminated. While proof of vaccination is not required at sporting events or for travel at present, that may change in the future.

Report: Many US nursing home staff decline first COVID shots

The CDC looked at more than 11,000 nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that had at least one vaccination clinic between the middle of December and the middle of January. Data previously showed that people who work in nursing homes and long-term care facilities get flu vaccines at lower rates than other health-care workers. Surveys suggest that long-term care workers are skeptical the shots work and don't think viruses spread easily from them to the people they care for. The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care homes in nearly every state. Each vaccine requires two shots a few weeks apart, and CVS and Walgreens say they have wrapped up first-dose clinics in nursing homes.

VIRUS TODAY: GOP offers alternative COVID-19 relief plan

Ad— Frustration is growing at long-term care facilities over the pace of COVID-19 vaccination efforts. CVS and Walgreens, which have led the vaccination push in long-term care settings in nearly all states, say they are proceeding on schedule. AdThe average number of daily deaths has risen in the nation's three most populous states, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in California has increased over the past two weeks from about 532 deaths per day on Jan. 16 to nearly 551 daily deaths on Jan. 30. Portman discussed the GOP proposal on CNN’s “State of the Union.”AdICYMI: Many states have had trouble distributing the coronavirus vaccine equitably.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says more Publix pharmacies will offer COVID-19 vaccine to seniors

VERO BEACH, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Tuesday morning outside a Publix Super Market in Vero Beach to announce that the state is expanding its partnership with the grocery store chain. DeSantis said eight Publix pharmacies in Indian River County will now offer the COVID-19 vaccine to people 65 and older, as well as 11 Publix pharmacies in St. Lucie County. This brings the total number Publix pharmacies offering the vaccine in the state to 261 in 20 counties. Last week, DeSantis announced that all Publix pharmacies in Palm Beach County and two in Monroe County would also be offering the vaccine to seniors.

One of the largest Great White sharks ever tagged pings off Key Largo

KEY LARGO, Fla. – One of the largest Great White sharks ever tagged is lurking out in the Atlantic and pinged Thursday morning off the coast of Key Largo. According to OCEARCH, the shark named Unama’ki pinged Sunday off Vero Beach and then pinged at 5:46 a.m. Thursday off Key Largo. Unama’ki is more than 15 feet long and weighs more than 2,000 pounds. Just two months ago, the shark pinged off Nova Scotia, Canada. The name Unama’ki comes from the indigenous Mi’kmaq people in Nova Scotia and means “Land of the Fog.”

Don Ryce, who dedicated his life to missing children, dies at 76

VERO BEACH, Fla. – Don Ryce, who has championed a mission to helping police find missing children since his son Jimmy was abducted in 1995, has died. Ryce, who became a dedicated advocate for abducted and missing children and co-founded The Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction with his wife, Claudine, died at the age of 76 from natural causes. His death was not coronavirus-related, according to a statement from Mark Young, director of the Jimmy Ryce Center. Keep fighting.”The Ryce family established the Jimmy Ryce Bloodhound Network. The Jimmy Ryce Center has donated over 600 bloodhounds to law enforcement agencies around the world to assist in the search of missing children and adults.

Isaias near hurricane strength as it crawls toward Carolinas

The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina. "We are forecasting it to become a hurricane before it reaches the coast this evening," senior hurricane specialist Daniel Brown said. Authorities were getting ready in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ordering swimmers out of the water to avoid rough surf and strong rip currents. Were from Michigan, so we get snow and go through it all," Aliyah Owens, who arrived in Myrtle Beach for a summer vacation Sunday, told WTBW-TV. Anything that can move we tie down or bring inside, Philo told The Sun News of Myrtle Beach.

Anxiety and impatience in long wait for Hurricane Dorian in Florida

Mike Lafferty boarded up his house near Vero Beach days ago and was at the store to pick up a few more things. The National Hurricane Center has a 60% chance of the area getting hurricane force winds before early Wednesday. Jerry and Patricia Perkins shudder their home on the barrier island in Vero Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019, in preparation for the possibility of Hurricane Dorian making landfall. We never know," said Kevin Browning, who was at the Vero Beach Home Depot looking for supplies after putting up his hurricane shutters Friday. Gerry Heister has lived in Florida for 35 years and seen a lot of storms come through Vero Beach.