It includes $1,400 checks for most Americans, extension of a temporary boost in unemployment benefits and a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures through September.
Health
Vaccines and masks: Biden plan aims to break pandemic cycle
A coronavirus action plan to be introduced by President-elect Joe Biden centers on a mass vaccination campaign and closer coordination among all levels of government.
Pharmacies set to expand role in vaccine rollout, but experience in Maine is mixed
Walgreens and CVS have administered only a fraction of the vaccine doses they’ve been allocated, and state officials question whether they will be able to expand their efforts anytime soon.
Updated Q&A: When will it be my turn under the new plan?
Maine’s new vaccine strategy gives higher priority to police, firefighters and other first responders, as well as older Mainers and those with high-risk medical conditions.
State may change hospitals’ vaccine guidelines to prioritize workers who face most risk
Maine’s CDC director says the state wants to be more explicit with hospitals about which health care workers should get priority for vaccination.
Updated Q&A: I have allergies. Should I still get a COVID-19 vaccine?
While many people will experience milder side effects after vaccination, severe allergic reactions have been rare in Maine and nationwide so far.
California turns stadiums, fairgrounds into COVID-19 vaccination centers
The state will vastly expand its effort with new mass vaccination sites at parking lots for Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Petco Park in San Diego and the CalExpo fairgrounds in Sacramento.
Are we at the beginning of the end of COVID-19? The tricky road to herd immunity, explained
In practice, achieving the threshold necessary for mass protection from disease is complicated.
Maine trails other states in publishing vaccine data
But Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, says the state soon will update its vaccine dashboard with much more information.
Maine makes plans to speed up vaccinations as it reports 6 more deaths and 313 new cases
Maine’s CDC director says preliminary planning is underway for higher-volume vaccination sites and an online registration system.