The Columbian

Washington Department of Corrections vaccinates high-risk inmates, prison staff

December 30, 2020, 10:36am Latest News

The Washington State Department of Corrections has started vaccinating some high-risk inmates and prison employees, putting them among the first recipients to receive the vaccine in the state. Read story

A mask on the pavement near the entrance of a hospital on Westminster Bridge in London, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020.

UK puts millions more under tight restrictions as cases soar

December 30, 2020, 8:28am Nation & World Free

The British government on Wednesday extended its toughest coronavirus restrictions to three-quarters of England’s population, saying a fast-spreading new variant of the virus has reached most of the country. Read story

FILE - This undated file photo issued by the University of Oxford, shows of vial of coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, in Oxford, England. Britain has authorized use of a second COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first country to greenlight an easy-to-handle shot that its developers hope will become the "vaccine for the world." The United Kingdom government says the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has made an emergency authorization for the vaccine developed by Oxford University and UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca.

Watchdog approves use in UK of ‘vaccine for the world’

December 30, 2020, 8:24am Nation & World Free

Britain authorized an easy-to-handle coronavirus vaccine Wednesday and decided to stretch out the time between doses to allow more people to get some level of protection faster as infections surge. The first greenlight for the shot dubbed the “vaccine for the world” brought a measure of hope that the pandemic… Read story

Manager Bre Belter pours rye whiskey into a jigger to pour into the "Pony Boy" cocktail at Rally Pizza in Vancouver. "Pony Boy," which consists of rye whiskey, ginger liqueur, allspice dram and benedictine, is one of the store's most popular cocktails at $18 per jar.

Clark County venues plan for quiet New Year’s Eve amid virus restrictions

December 30, 2020, 6:03am Business

A year ago, Clark County residents gearing up to celebrate the start of 2020 had no shortage of events and destinations to choose from. There was UnderBar’s “Ring in the Roaring ’20s” party, 38 Below’s “NYE Bash” and WareHouse ’23’s “Roaring into the 20’s” event, to name just a few. Read story

Nurses and medical staff make their way through the seventh floor COVID-19 unit at East Alabama Medical Center Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in Opelika, Ala. COVID-19 patients occupy most of the beds in ICU in addition to the non-critical patients on the seventh floor.

‘Like a bathtub filling up’: Alabama is slammed by the virus

December 29, 2020, 12:27pm Nation & World Free

With its dozen intensive care beds already full, Cullman Regional Medical Center began looking desperately for options as more and more COVID-19 patients showed up. Read story