This Just In: The vaccine is here, but not yet at nursing homes

Also, things are about to get snowy. [providencejournal.com]( This Just In Monday, December 14 [Christian Arbelaez is the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs at Brown Emergency Medicine at Rhode Island, Hasbro Children's, The Miriam & Newport Hospitals receives the first Rhode Island vaccination.]( [This Just In: The vaccine is here, but not yet at nursing homes]( Also, things are about to get snowy. Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. It's a momentous day in Rhode Island and across the nation, as healthcare workers become the first in the United States to receive the coronavirus vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech. Dr. Christian Arbalaez, an emergency physician at Rhode Island Hospital, [was the first in the state to receive a shot of the vaccine]( to the cheers of those watching at the hospital. it came just a few hours after the Department of Health vaccine subcommittee, in an early-morning meeting,[voted to recommend that the state's hospitals begin administering the vaccine]( to high-risk workers. A little after sunrise, [Lifespan received 3,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine]( stored in purple-capped vials delivered via FedEx Priority Overnight. Meanwhile, the state's hard-hit nursing homes [will have to wait a week or two]( before they begin vaccinating their residents. A veteran correctional officer [has died from complications of COVID-19](. Lt. Russell Freeman had been assigned to the women's facility at the ACI since 2014. The state [reported 46 coronavirus-related deaths]( over the last three days, bringing the total number of deaths to 170 through the first 13 days of December. That puts this month on track to be the second-deadliest of the pandemic in Rhode Island. In more positive news, hospitalizations fell. And the state's seven-day average of new cases – which remained the highest in the nation, per capita, through the weekend – fell to its lowest point in 10 days. In an unusual ceremony befitting an unusual election in an unusual year, four Democratic electors [cast Rhode Island's Electoral College votes]( for President-Elect Joe Biden. The event, which usually features lots of pomp and ceremony, was closed even to members of the media, who had to watch via state television feed. Meanwhile, Gov. Gina Raimondo , who is quarantining following Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott's [positive COVID test]( delivered remarks from a car parked outside. Because of term limits, James Diossa was not able to run for reelection as mayor of Central Falls, a job that became more challenging this year as that city was hit hard by COVID-19. Political Scene spoke to the man soon to be Rhode Island's youngest ex-mayor [about what his next steps might be](   With students on distance learning for the rest of the year, the city of Pawtucket has [shut off its school-zone speed cameras]( Though it had already been a foregone conclusion, the Patriots saw their remarkable streak of 11 consecutive division titles [come to an end last night]( when the Buffalo Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers. Finally, it looks and feels like there's a winter storm about to hit, but whatever snow falls tonight will just be a warmup (or a cooldown, I guess) [for what awaits us Wednesday]( Have a great night. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In, [please encourage a friend to sign up]( [Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.]( [click here]( Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback]( © 2020 75 Fountain St. , Providence, RI 02902