Local Texas officials vow to continue mask mandate despite lawsuit threat from AG

Here are some significant developments:

• Congress approved a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package Wednesday, which includes $1,400 for most Americans, extends enhanced unemployment benefits and offers relief for low-income families. Biden is expected to sign the bill Friday.
• Recognizing the stain isolation has had on families, federal health officials Wednesday expanded guidelines for nursing homes, allowing residents to meet with visitors indoors.
• Alaska is the first state to remove eligibility requirements for the coronavirus vaccine, making immunization available to anyone 16 and older who lives or works in the state.
• Some experts disagree with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines that discourage vaccinated people from traveling. One leading physician said the agency “is being far overly cautious in a way that defies common sense.”
• Nearly 32 million people in the United States have been fully vaccinated, a little less than 10 percent of the population. The nation is averaging about 2.1 million doses administered per day, up from about 1.5 million a month ago.