Older people in Tullahoma, Tenn., lined up on a sidewalk Saturday, leaning on walkers and sitting in lawn chairs, wrapped in blankets and heavy coats, to wait for the county health department to open its free clinic. The clinic exhausted its supply of vaccine before 10 a.m.
States have said their efforts are beginning to build momentum, and that some of the initial problems have been worked out.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams said on Sunday that the slow start to the vaccination campaign was due in part to the holidays, when many public health workers were on vacation. It was also a time when virus cases were surging nationwide, leaving fewer local public health resources available than if the vaccine had arrived when cases were under control.
The good news is that were seeing it quickly ramp up, thanks to our state partners, Dr. Adams said on the CNN program State of the Union. In the last 72 hours, we saw 1.5 million first shots reported.
He said it was not a surprise that the program ran into snags.
This was always going to be the most difficult vaccine rollout in history, even if it wasnt superimposed on a surge and a holiday season, Dr. Adams said, repeating a message he attributed to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the countrys leading infectious disease expert.
The Second Stimulus
Answers to Your Questions About the Stimulus Bill
Updated Dec 30, 2020
The economic relief package will issue payments of $600 and distribute a federal unemployment benefit of $300 for at least 10 weeks. Find more about the measure and whats in it for you. For details on how to get assistance, check out our Hub for Help.
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- Will I receive another stimulus payment? Individual adults with adjusted gross income on their 2019 tax returns of up to $75,000 a year will receive a $600 payment, and a couple (or someone whose spouse died in 2020) earning up to $150,000 a year will get twice that amount. There is also a $600 payment for each child for families who meet those income requirements. People who file taxes using the head of household status and make up to $112,500 also get $600, plus the additional amount for children. People with incomes just above these levels will receive a partial payment that declines by $5 for every $100 in income.
- When might my payment arrive? The Treasury Department said on Dec. 29 that it had started making direct deposit payments, and would begin to mail checks the next day. But it will be a while before all eligible people receive their money.
- Does the agreement affect unemployment insurance? Lawmakers agreed to extend the amount of time that people can collect unemployment benefits and restart an extra federal benefit that is provided on top of the usual state benefit. But instead of $600 a week, it would be $300. That will last through March 14.
- I am behind on my rent or expect to be soon. Will I receive any relief? The agreement will provide $25 billion to be distributed through state and local governments to help renters who have fallen behind. To receive assistance, households will have to meet several conditions: Household income (for 2020) cannot exceed more than 80 percent of the area median income; at least one household member must be at risk of homelessness or housing instability; and individuals must qualify for unemployment benefits or have experienced financial hardship directly or indirectly because of the pandemic. The agreement said assistance will be prioritized for families with lower incomes and that have been unemployed for three months or more.
Another obstacle looms now, one that Dr. Adams said he is terribly concerned about: persuading enough Americans to take the vaccine.read more
