and it’s not what Virginia is doing.
The article shows that those states that discarded the CDC guidelines and vaccinate based on vulnerability are having the greatest success in turning the tide on COVID
Federalism leads the way
Published
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum
A place for civil discussion of the events of the day for Tidewater residents without the limitations imposed by media forums.
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
That WAS the idea….
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From the editorial: “The risk [in trying to expand vaccine delivery] is that Team Biden tries to micromanage state administration of the vaccine, especially now that the media, Democrats and some public-health officials are blaming slow state rollouts on a ‘vacuum’ of federal leadership. But vaccine administration was always intended to be state-led, and too many jurisdictions squandered the ample time they had for preparation.”
In other words, there was no “‘vacuum’ of federal leadership” where mere production and distribution are concerned. The vacuums were in the states and became obvious only after the federal handoff.
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Whatever happened to correlation does not prove causation? Not convenient in this case? Maybe it is not the distribution policy that makes the difference. Maybe it something else.
For example, could it be that administering a relatively small number of doses in states where a large percentage of the population is in just a few locales is simply easier to get right. Or could it be that states with the most vulnerable people due to their age and poor health got more vaccine per capita based on the first distribution algorithms? Or both? The WSJ cites WV and ND, both states are at the top in terms of percentage of people vaccinated and at the bottom in terms of number of doses administered. And both are homes to aging populations. The other two states with the best performance per capita are Alaska and South Dakota which have also administered relatively few doses.
Here is an interesting tool for comparing states with both total and per capita comparisons. Virginia is middling. Some better and some worse.
https://ourworldindata.org/us-states-vaccinations
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“Whatever happened to correlation does not prove causation?“
Inconvenient ?
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Well, we all like to be proved that we are right. But I think in this case – as in most – things are not as simple as some really want to believe.
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Go back and add in the other states on those graphs adjusted for population.and Virginia again fares very poorly.
Why they chose the states they did I don’t know but they left out a lot of high performing states
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The selection of the states for each of those graphs is user configurable. You can select any, some or all. The data for all the states is there. There is no arguing that Virginia could have done a lot better. It is sixth from the bottom though most of those in the bottom half are closer to each other numerically than is statistically significant given all the variety of reporting issues to be worked out.
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We can get deep in the woods on numbers and how to interpret them.
To me, the numbers that matter are deaths per 100K and hospitalization /100K.
If you vaccinate a high number of people, but don’t move those numbers, you vaccinated the wrong people.
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At least you got yours….sleep well.
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I think VA Beach is having a mass vaccination today.
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They opened the sign up. I registered this morning and waiting to hear back.
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Good luck
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But yes, i got mine. That tales me out of the equation.
I still want to see the vaccine used to save lives in a non-political, medically sound manner.
Why is that so controversial?
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…”i got mine.”…
In Canada, you would have been fined $397 ($500 Canadian). At least you didn’t rent a private lane and fly to an Indian reservation and jump in front of those folks.
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Canada fines people for responding to an invitation? Remember I identified myself as from Chesapeake and was told I was welcome.
My first duty is to my family, and that includes protecting myself and my wife. I am grateful that North Carolina helped me to do that.
When we go down for our second dose I will inquire as to what charities the Albemarle Regional Health District endorses. “Thank you” is not enough for them taking up the slack for our disgraceful Governor and Health Dept.
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You jumped the line in NC. Its called vaccine tourism. You were not invited and a security guard gave you the OK upon your arrival. But your conscience is clear. and I am glad you got yours.
But your continued hatred for all things Democratic tends to skew anything else you say. And you have ZERO proof of what you have been complaining about. Just rhetoric based on your hatred.
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No proof?
Show me the place where Elders 65 and over, who are officially part of Phase 1b, can get vaccinated?
They can’t, The Health Dept controls the supply and eligibility is a sham as the supply goes entirely to invitation only public employee union members.
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Like I said. Once a thought gets stuck in someone’s head, it is usually impossible to dislodge.
Your entire argument is based in hatred for Democrats and bureaucracy so there is no way you can be convinced that it is anything but corruption. Which you have no proof of, just your own warped, hate-based perceptions.
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So, you have no evidence.
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Nor do you. Yet there you go continuing to spew your rhetoric that everything is corrupt.
Like I said before, incompetence does not equal corruption. (You said the something similar about T****’s potential collusion with Putin, but I digress). You want this to be corrupt like you wanted ANTIFA to be responsible for the Capitol “trespassing”.
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“controversial“
Since I’ve made the point to you repeatedly, I can only assume your shame (BIG assumption) and selfishness won’t allow you to either admit or understand.
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It is actually very early days for the vaccine so it would be just about impossible to draw conclusion just yet on statistics on deaths and hospitalizations. But sure. We will see.
The statistics we have been looking at show that (1) even with all the problems that are becoming apparent Virginia is not too different from a lot of other states. And that (2) we have plenty of room to do better. With this kind of data in hand, your accusations of a “corrupt monster” and pandering seem misguided to me. Are so many states lead by “corrupt monsters?”
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“Why is that so controversial?”
It is not so controversial. It is a perfectly reasonable approach. But when you assert that YOUR approach is the only approach and that anyone who has a different approach is a “corrupt monster” then YOU make it controversial. Throw in some “union bashing”, attacks on teachers and a dash of accusations of our Governor deliberately killing hundreds or thousands of people for political reasons and you discredit ANYTHING you have to say on the issue.
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So, it’s coincidence that the favored groups that are getting vaccinated even before people in nursing homes are all members of reliably Democrat public employee unions?
Are you going to deny that vaccinating teachers in their 20s and 30s instead of those over 65, delaying their protection for months, will result in additional deaths?
I cannot prove that is Northam;s intent, but it damn sure will be the outcome.
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@ Jimmie
There is no shame in escaping oppression. But there should be shame in defending it.
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Yes, I deny that vaccinating people whose essential work FORCES them to be exposed to the virus will cause more deaths among those 65-74. And the reason is simple, while waiting for the vaccine people in that age group who are not forced to be in the work force can continue to protect themselves through stringent self-isolation. I have personally be doing that since March 17, 2020 and have near zero fear of getting the virus.
You say that these essential workers are a “favored group.” Based on what? You don’t like the unions that represent SOME of them? Uh, I think you will find that ordinary people in those groups are pretty evenly split as to their political leanings. As if that matters. And I will not get into your “race-based” and “woke” polemics. But trust me, those kinds of accusations ARE controversial and doubly so when murderous White Supremacists are fresh off their attempt to overthrow the government.
You are right. You cannot prove Northam’s intent. Maybe you should refrain from making categorical accusations and slanders for which you have no evidence and, in fact, no way of knowing? Unless you enjoy stirring up controversy.
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I am neutral on unions as bargaining agents for employees. I am opposed to public employee unions which act both as bargaining agents and political organizations.
And this situation shows why.
These decisions should be made the same way a doctor is expected to treat patients.
A doctor’s decisions should not be influenced by who the patient is or whether the doctor approves of the patient’s views. You treat the criminal the same way you treat his victim.
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BTW, do you think all elders have the same ability to isolate that you do?
I certainly don’t.
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“It is actually very early days for the vaccine so it would be just about impossible to draw conclusion just yet on statistics on deaths and hospitalizations. But sure. We will see.”
That is true, and we are also seeing a decline on those numbers as the ‘holiday surge’ abates so it will be hard to isolate the effect.
But the only proper goal is to save lives and unburden hospitals, which benefits everyone.
Sacrificing those goals for any political consideration is corrupt.
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“Sacrificing those goals for any political consideration is corrupt.”
Just because you keep saying it does not make it true. Proof, real proof. Not conjecture based on political biases.
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Took 70 years to be accused of “defending oppression”
Damn, I should have been paying attention, I may have been doing it my entire life.
Now that you’ve turned the light on I can clearly see how our society oppressed this boy into a life not afforded in ANY other society in the history of the planet.
Still SMFH…
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“Sacrificing those goals for any political consideration is corrupt.”
Maybe. In general. But saying that it happened or wanting to believe that it happened is not evidence that it did happen. Don’t you agree?
How about economic goals? In the early days leading Republicans called on seniors to sacrifice themselves for the economy and it seems that such was Donald Trump’s priority as well – protect the economy and not lives. Was that “corrupt” too?
How about social goals? If we want schools to open because we think it is better for kids to be in school but teachers are afraid to return to the classroom without vaccination. Would meeting their legitimate needs be “corrupt?”
These are rhetorical questions. The point is that if evidence does not matter it is very easy to impugn the motives of people whose decisions you do not agree with.
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As far as the teachers go, the evidence is that they do not face a large risk and their fears are unfounded. And in some VA cities, teachers who have been vaccinated are still refusing to come back, so I place zero legitimacy on pandering to their demands.
There is always a fine line to be tread between the value of lives and the need for commerce. We need to eat. I don’t know that we need vinyl siding.
But I wasn’t talking about economic considerations. I was talking about political considerations.
If Trump had decreed that stock brokers, real estate developers and NRA members get priority, would you be looking at it as legitimate?
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“I certainly don’t.”
Are you sure about that. I grant you that you would have to change your living arrangements more than I have had to change mine. My kids all live on their own in other states. But, correct me if I am wrong, but sharing the “compound” with your children and grandchildren is a choice, not a necessity, for a family of your economic means.
To ask one of your questions – should a teacher have to risk her life so that you can continue with your preferred living arrangements?
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Even if I could afford to rent a place to live, what about the other elders with similar situations who don’t have my means?
Many elders have children living with them.
And again, most of the presumed risk to ‘essential workers’ is not anywhere near what you think. They’ve been doing those jobs for 10 months so either they have already been infected and recovered or the risk isn’t that high.
And don’t forget that the complexity of the priority system is a problem in and of itself. Even at the current rate of supply, VA can’t keep up getting those shots n arms. What happens when AZ and J&J come online? Do they just stack up in warehouses due to the administrative bottleneck of the priority system?
Trying to control who gets the vaccine by an appointment system will never meet the need. We need to get it out by clear and self defining priority like age first until we get down to 40 years old, then first come first served after that.
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” They’ve been doing those jobs for 10 months so either they have already been infected and recovered or the risk isn’t that high.”
Completely discounting the social distancing, mask wearing, and proper hygiene and disinfection techniques is completely disingenuous. Perhaps it shows that when practiced properly these moves help control the spread.
But hey. Your entire argument is based on the ideal that Democrats are corrupt.
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Why VW did so well? They developed their own distribution plan. The other 49 went with the Trump plan.
But, why would they do that? Two reasons: 1) the Fed plan used CVS and Walgreens as the inoculators, and 2) the distributor in the Fed plan was McKesson. So, practicality and morality.
Practicality — WV doesn’t have many big chain pharmacies. So… the contracted with independents.
Morality — WV was suing McKesson for knowily oversupplying oxycodone to WV, 10 pills per day per person.
So, what’s the takeaway? One huge success, 49 mehs. One go-it-alone, 49 Trump plans.
Correlation and causality.
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Wasn’t aware of the McKesson issue.
I wouldn’t call it the Trump plan, I’d call it the CDC plan. It is hypocritical to hang it on Trump when you spent 8 months blasting him for every time he disagreed with the CDC.
But the CDC plan is indeed a disaster. and Northam is using it to shield his cronyism.
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“Buck Stops Here” It may not be fair, but he did declare ultimate authority. It comes with ultimate responsibility.
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Hypocritical my ass, trump’s CDC, trump’s plan.
The buck thing…
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Oh hooray, hooray! The first of my tax forms, 1099s, arrived this morning!
Now I have something to do on a rainy day that also gives me a reason to NOT go to the grocery store with the spousal unit!! Or, take a shower, or change underwear, or climb out of my sweats!
I love retirement!
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…”or change underwear”…
Dude, for the sake of the spousal unit, I suggest STRONGLY that you do not follow this plan in it’s entirety. Unless you’re sleeping alone in a spare room or the couch.
Seriously, I crap in a bag (no skid marks!) and change my drawers every day.
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30 years of marriage, 6 years of retirement, and 9 months of self-imposed quarantine… at this point we are looking for spousal repellents. Deet don’t work.
She uses little jobs. She starts something, oh say, going through the book cases and I hide in the guest room.
I’ve discovered gastric distress and poor hygiene. Works like a champ.
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“Northam is using it to shield his cronyism”
You cannot help yourself, can you? You have no way of knowing anything about Northam’s thinking and no evidence of any kind to support this extremely serious accusation. And, now, it seems that following the Trump CDC planning guidance was done for “corrupt” motives?
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I don’t accept the idea that it is purely coincidence that only government employee union members are getting vaccinated.
The CDC guidelines were developed by (guess) government employee union members.
I do wish Trump would not have allowed the election fight to distract him from reining in the bureaucracy. It was his greatest failure
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And I don’t accept the “fact” that “only government employee union members are getting vaccinated.” It appears to me to be very similar to lots of other “facts” that you have provided over the years. Let’s be generous and call it bullshit.
Group 1b includes “essential workers.” The listed occupations are a mix of public and private employees. The public employee categories includes those represented by unions and those who are not.
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Yes group 1b includes those over 65 too, so what?
You can go to the Dept of Health website and some cities will let you register, Chesapeake has stopped, but even then, you don’t get to make your appointment until the bureaucrats send you the magic link. And they are only sending them to those they want
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“Chesapeake has stopped”
Isn’t it possible that is because they have run out of vaccine? It is happening in a lot of places around the country, not just VA.
And as I pointed out yesterday, as of SATURDAY, 44% of allotted doses had been administered. VB and other areas had large scale vaccine distribution (actually shots in arms) yesterday. So it stands to reason that number has grown.
I did register yesterday due to having had cancer. My wife and son are in group 1C and can’t even register yet. My son’s girlfriend (who lives with us) got her first dose last week as a heath care worker. My boss and his wife, both well over 65 have not mentioned their intentions to me.
In NY State, my father received his first last week and walked out with an appointment for his second. BUT his original appointment was cancelled due to NO VACCINE available on his originally scheduled date. It ended up 5 days later than originally planned, but still got it done. His wife got done this past Saturday with the sight having only 300 doses available.
BIG TAKE AWAY: Any plan with appointments is more efficient than a cluster f*** of all line up, and MAYBE get stuck.
It isn’t about corruption at the state level. It is about availability at the local level. Local sights get product as it is delivered to them via the states. To continually rail about imagined corruption is kind of ludicrous – IMO.
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You offered a categorical “fact.” It was not true.
Now it is not just Northam who is “corrupt,” it is “bureaucrats” in every city and county across the state. Because, it seems that in your mind, “bureaucrats only watch out for each other but not the people they serve.
“Bullshit” was, as I said, generous. It really seems you cannot help yourself. Some sort of emotion – not facts and reason – typically drive such drooling hate filled rants.
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Ok, then show me the Phase 1b Chesapeake citizens who are not public employees who have been scheduled for vaccination.
Should be easy if they are not being systematically excluded.
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Where is the corruption, besides in your head? Claiming that “public employees” do not fall into the “essential workers category” seems a bit wrongheaded. And if VA is a right to work state, which it is, the public unions are very limited in their power.
You seem to want it to be true so badly, you overlook the other possibilities. And there is no convincing someone they are wrong when they get a thought lodged that deeply in their processes.
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I don’t think you are seeing what you want to see. A kind and just government.
We are supposedly in Phase 1b. That includes a wide range of public and private employees in various occupations, but it also includes those over 65.
If vaccinations were truly open to Phase 1b, we should be seeing a mixture of Public employees, private employees and elders getting those magic emails that allow them to schedule an appointment.
That is not happening. Only pubic employees are getting them.
So, the published allocation system is just a sham. Being Phase 1b doesn’t really mean anything because the bureaucracy is choosing who in Phase 1b gets vaccinated in a non-transparent and corrupt manner.
I know that is scary but it’s time you understand that those bureaucrats don’t see themselves as public servants, they see themselves as the nobility and you are a serf.
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” Only pubic employees are getting them.”
You knw this how? Have you hacked into the systems to see what individuals are receiving emails and their personal information as to where they work?
…”those bureaucrats don’t see themselves as public servants, they see themselves as the nobility and you are a serf.”
More libertarian small government BS and piffle. Bureaucracies are notoriously inefficient, not corrupt. You see what you want to see because you refuse to believe that anything but your viewpoint is legitimate.
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“Ok, then show me the Phase 1b Chesapeake citizens . . .”
Laughable! So now we are just talking about Chesapeake. Your original bullshit covered the whole state.
Chesapeake currently seems to be straddling 1a and 1b groups. It has not yet finished 1a and currently has very little of the vaccine. There are no public records available to answer your question – something that I am certain you knew when you asked it.
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You and I both live in Chesapeake, s it would have been unreasonable for me to expect you to show us people in Nelson County or Fredericksburg.
As for public records, that’s the point, Life or death choices are being made with no transparency by unelected bureaucrats who face no consequences for their choices.
Those vaccines belong to all of us. We know they will be rationed early on, but we are owed transparency and input into those choices.
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That’s the point?
It became the point when it was pointed out that your demand was nonsense.
You have been all over the map with your bellyaching and factual nonsense.
The governor is corrupt. Not just corrupt – a monster.
“Bureaucrats” are corrupt and only care about protecting other bureaucrats.
Only members of public employee unions are getting vaccinated throughout the state.
Well, maybe in Chesapeake but we don’t know because there is no data.
Bwaahh, we are “owed” that data so that WE can decide what to do with the vaccines.
And by the way, you people showing some patience are “serfs” but don’t know it.
It is still VERY early in the roll out of the vaccine. The whole country is currently in a vaccine information vacuum left behind by the Trump administration. NOBODY actually knows who has what. It is going to take a few weeks to get things straightened out. Your Trump-brand of factual nonsense and mud-slinging is not helpful in any way.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/millions-of-covid-19-vaccine-doses-are-miaand-biden-team-isnt-sure-why
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So, you don’t think the public should know how the vaccine is being distributed?
We own that vaccine, and we have every right to know that it is being allocated fairly.
A lack of transparency is malfeasance in itself.
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“So, you don’t think the public should know how the vaccine is being distributed?”
Where did you get that from? Of course, there should be a full accounting and the public has a right to know in broad terms how the vaccine was used. But it is still very early days and right now the entire flow of vaccines nationwide is just not well-documented. And supplies are a small fraction of the demand.
As for “transparency,” what are you talking about? You want to know the name and occupation of everyone who has been vaccinated to-date and you want to know it NOW? Uh no. You will just have to wait. We do not need you and hundreds of people like you trying to kibbutz. If, in the end, you think there has been malfeasance then at the next election throw the bums out.
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I have no need to know the identity of any person vaccinated.
But if Phase 1b is not being handled as a single group, and sub-groups are being given priority within the publicly identified phase, then the public has a right to know what subgroups are getting priority and a justification for that order.
And we are due it in advance and it should be subject to review by our elected representatives.
Bureaucrats have no rightful powers not delegated to them by our legislative process. Nor, for that matter, does the governor.
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The Virginia vaccine distribution guidance document puts the subgroups of 1b in priority order. That document has been public for some time now. There has been plenty of feedback and response in a messy and volatile situation. It is not in the least bit clear what you think the role of the legislature is in this process. The Trump plan was to punt end user distribution to the governors, not the state legislatures.
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Do you have a URL for such a list?
I have seen documents stating which groups were in Phase 1b, but not assigning priority within it.
And I’d be surprised if the Chesapeake City Council has seen it either. But I bet they would be interested.
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Click to access Phase-1b-In-Depth.pdf
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Thank you, no wonder Virginia is last in the nation. That would put those over 65 about April or May.
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