‘If not one, then another’: Storm blows in the Northeast

NEW YORK (AP) – A major blizzard erupted in the Northeast on Wednesday, a crucial moment in the corona virus outbreak, just days after the start of the US vaccination campaign. And the thickness of a virus surge It has people looking for tests for a day.

It had been snowing from North Virginia to the north of New York City until noon. The storm was expected to reduce snowfall by 2 feet (0.6 m) in some areas by Thursday, and added new problems to epidemiologists’ products – determining whether to close test sites, figuring out how to handle plowing between outdoor meals, redefining school snow days from home to another day That means learning, and many more.

“Our theme today should be, ‘If it’s not one thing, it’s another,’ ‘said Bill Murphy, of the New Jersey Government, while providing storm guidance to residents who are new this year – wearing a mask to help your neighbor’s yard.

However, officials said they did not expect the winter bombings to disrupt the vaccine supply, which began for leading health workers on Monday, when the first group of Americans received footage. The first 3 million shots are strictly limited to those workers and nursing home residents.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar on Wednesday said the government was closely monitoring vaccine exports and hoped it already had staff to obtain them, and that the companies carrying them could go to the storm.

“This is FedEx, this is UPS Express Shipping. They know how to deal with snow and bad weather. But we are following it, “he told Fox News’ Fox and Friends.

As 35 vaccines are expected to be delivered to New Jersey hospitals over the next day or two, Murphy said his administration will focus on ensuring that vaccine delivery trucks are exempt from storm-related restrictions on commercial traffic on some highways. New York government Andrew Cuomo said his state’s first round of vaccine exports had already been distributed to 90 hospitals and the next delivery would not come after the storm until Tuesday.

The National Weather Service said the storm was “set to bring hazards from the mid-Atlantic to the northeast”, including freezing rain and snow in the mid-Atlantic, severe snow in New York City and southern New England. Strong winds and coastal flooding, and even severe thunderstorms and some hurricanes on the outer banks of North Carolina.

In Virginia, the Salvo of snow, sleet and frost struck several thousand homes and businesses by Wednesday afternoon. By 3 p.m., troops had responded to about 200 crashes, including the wreckage of Interstate 81, where a North Carolina man was killed.

The heaviest snowfall is expected in central Pennsylvania, where the state capital, Harrisburg, is forecast to break the six-decade record for December snowfall. But in some areas from West Virginia to Maine one foot (0.3 meters) of snow can be obtained – for some, more than seen last winter. In New York City, authorities attempted the biggest storm in about three years.

“Take this seriously,” Mayor de Blasio warned residents.

Aside from the usual exit from plows and salt spreads, the country’s most populous city was adding to its list of contagious products, such as closing test sites run by the city on Wednesday afternoon and sometimes suspending outdoor food in extensive areas. Occupy parking spaces outside some restaurants.

Outdoor dining restaurants do not need to break their wooden covers and other structures, the only restaurant table service currently allowed in the city. But they are also told to protect outdoor furniture, remove heaters, and take other measures to prevent plowing. Ed Grayson, executive cleaning commissioner and head of the city’s snow removal, said the company has been planning and training to maneuver around structures since the summer.

De Blasio also announced Thursday as a snowy day – 2020 style for the country’s largest school district. School buildings will be closed, but students will be expected to go to class online (since middle and high schools are all online now, many families have opted for all distance learning).

“I know we all grew up with the excitement of snow days, but this year was different,” Mayer tweeted.

Rhode Island, meanwhile, closed state-run corona virus testing sites on Thursday.

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Associated Press Writers Tom Hayes in New York; Wayne Barry at Point Pleasant in New Jersey; Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey; Skip foreman in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Philip Marcelo in Boston and Dino Hazel in Washington.