ALERT
ALERT FROM THE 12NEWS STORMTRAKERS. GET READY FOR A RAINY FRIDAY EVENING. IT'S ALL
IN ASSOCIATION WITH COLD FRONT.
LET'S SEND IT OVER TO THE STORM
TRACKER CENTER. CRISTIANA
RAMOS IS TRACKING THE TIMING FOR
US.
SHORT TERM FORECAST TRIANGLE
TONIGHT: 60% COVERAGE OF RAIN
AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS IN THE
UPPER 50'S. WINDS: SOUTH 6-15
MPH GUST: 20. LAKES AREA
TONIGHT: 70% COVERAGE OF RAIN
AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS IN THE
MIDDLE 50'S. WINDS: SOUTH 6-15
MPH GUST: 20. TRIANGLE SATURDAY:
MORNING CLEARING TO MOSTLY SUNNY
SKIES, SLIGHTLY COOLER. HIGHS
IN THE UPPER 60'S NEAR 70.
WINDS: N TURNING NORTHEAST 3-8
MPH. LAKES AREA SATURDAY:
MORNING
MORNING CLEARING TO
MOSTLY
MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES, SLIGHTLY
COOLER.
COOLER. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 60'S.
60'S.
WINDS:
WINDS: N
WINDS: N TURNING NORTHEAST 2-7 MPH. PAUSE FOR OPEN
TONIGHT
TONIGHT THE PFIZER VACCINE IS READY FOR ROLLOUT, PENDING FINAL APPROVAL FROM THE F-D-A.
WHITE
WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF MARK MEADOWS IS PRESSING THE F-D-A CHIEF TO APPROVE THE PFIZER
VACCINE BY THE END OF THE DAY.
THE VACCINE WON APPROVAL
YESTERDAY FROM AN F-D-A PANEL OF
OUTSIDE ADVISERS. SIGNOFF
FROM THE F-D-A IS THE NEXT STEP
NEEDED TO GET THE SHOTS TO THE
PUBLIC. THIS ALL COMES AS THE
U-S TOPPED MORE THAN 31 HUNDRED
COVID-19 DEATHS WEDNESDAY--- THE
HIGHEST ONE DAY TOTAL YET. DR.
ANTHONY FAUCI -- PUTTING OUT YET
ANOTHER WARNING CRY THIS
AFTERNOON. SAYING THE
VACCINE WILL NOT -- EASE THE
BURDEN. AT LEAST NOT
IMMEDIATELY.
AT 0:28 -- THE FACT IS VACCINES
ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE A PUBLIC
HEALTH IMPACT FOR AT LEAST
SEVERAL MONTHS... IT MAY HAVE AN
IMPACT IN PROTECTING INDIVIDUAL
PEOPLE, BUT FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH
PERSPECTIVE IT'LL BE SEVERAL
MONTHS BEFORE WE GET THE FULL
IMPACT OF A VACCINE, SO IT'S IN
OUR HANDS NOW.
FDA APPROVAL WOULD BE A MAJOR
TURNING
TURNING POINT IN THIS RELENTLESS PANDEMIC. OFFICIALS SAYING SOME AMERICANS MAY BE VACCINATED
AS EARLY AS MONDAY.
THAT'S WHEN NEARLY 3-THOUSAND
DOZES OF THE VACCINE WILL ARRIVE
AT SOUTHEAST TEXAS HOSPITALS.
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH
SERVICES TELLS 12NEWS, THE
VACCINE SHIPMENT MAY ARRIVE A
DAY OR TWO LATER, DEPENDING WHEN
THE FDA APPROVES IT. THOSE
FIRST DOSES ARE ALL EARMARKED
FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS.
BUT WHAT ABOUT RURAL AREAS OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS? HOW LONG
WILL THE VACCINE ROLLOUT TAKE
THERE? AND ARE THESE AREAS
EQUIPPED TO STORE THE PFIZER
VACINE
VACINE AT
VACINE AT THOSE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPS? 12NEWS REPORTER ALMIYA WHITE TACKLES SOME OF
THOSE TOUGH QUESTIONS.
46-56
RURAL AREAS CONTINUE TO GET HIT
HARD FROM THE PANDEMIC. FIRST --
A MASSIVE SURGE IN CASES. NOW --
WHAT COULD BE A LONGER WAIT
TIME FOR THE COVID-19
VACCINATION.
THE CLOCK IS TICKING FOR THE
ARRIVAL OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE.
BUT FOR RURAL AREAS THE CLOCK
MAY KEEP TICKING, AND THE WAIT
COULD BE LONGER THAN EXPECTED.
JEFFERSON COUNTY IS THE ONLY
COUNTY IN OUR REGION WHERE
VACCINES ARE BEING SHIPPED.
12NEWS HAS LEARNED HEALTH CARE
WORKERS IN COUNTIES SUCH AS
JASPER, NEWTON AND HARDIN COUNTY
ARE STILL IN "TIER ONE" FOR
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION. BUT -- IT
REMAINS UNCLEAR WHEN THEY WOULD
RECEIVE THE VACCINATION. SO
WHAT'S THAT MEAN? A PHYSICIAN IN
JEFFERSON COUNTY COULD GET THEIR
VACCINE A WEEK OR TWO BEFORE A
PHYSICIAN IN A RURAL COUNTY.
RURAL COUNTY. PRESIDENT JOHN
HENDERSON WITH THE TEXAS
ASSOCIATION OF RURAL HEALTH
CLINICS SAYS RURAL AREAS NEED
ATTENTION TOO. SOT: I WOULD
ARGUE AT LEAST AS MUCH OR MAYBE
MORE AT RISK, BUT ALSO MORE
ESSENTIAL. YOU KNOW BECAUSE OF
THE LIMITED STAFFING IN THE
RURAL HOSPITALS AND CLINICS."
COMING UP AT SIX -- WE TAKE A
LOOK AT JUST HOW HARD RURAL
COMMUNTIES HAVE BEEN HIT. IN
BEAUMONT. ALMIYA WHITE. 12NEWS.
NEW DEVEOPMENTS TONIGHT. THE
STATE SAYS THE STAFF AND
RESIDENTS OF LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES WILL BE AMONG THE
FIRST TO GET THE VACCINE.
GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT MADE THE
ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY.
THE STATE WILL BE PARTICIPATING
IN THE FEDERAL PHARMACY
PARTNERSHIP FOR LONG-TERM CARE
PROGRAM --WHICH IS FREE. MORE
THAN 12- HUNDRED NURSING
FACILITIES AND MORE THAN
2-THOUSAND OTHER LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES IN TEXAS HAVE ALREADY
SIGNED UP. THE FIRST VACCINES IN
THE PROGRAM WILL BE PROVIDED TO
PHARMACIES THE WEEK OF DECEMBER
21ST. THE PROGRAM WILL
OFFICIALLY BEGIN ON THE 28TH.
TRACKING THE HOSPITALIZATION
NUMBERS FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY.
I-C-U BEDS ARE STILL FULL. 42
PERCENT OF THOSE PATIENTS HAVE
COVID, AND 16-PERCENT OF
GENERAL
GENERAL PATIENTS HAVE COVID-19. REGIONALLY-- 37-PERCENT OF ICU PATIENTS AND 12- PERCENT OF
GENERAL PATIENTS ARE FIGHTING
THE VIRUS. LOOKING AT THE
REGIONAL HOSPTIALIZATION RATE
--WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 16-
POINT-1 PERCENT.
WE'RE LEARNING MORE TONIGHT
ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE
STATE'S DECISION -- TO "DO AWAY"
WITH SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY
RATINGS THIS SECHOOL YEAR. THE
T-E-A WILL CONTINUE WITH STAAR
TESTING TO GAUGE STUDENTS'
PROGRESS. 12NEWS REPORTER
JAMES GRANT SPOKE TO A
SUPERINTENDENT, TO SEE WHY THOSE
SCORES COULD BE SO IMPORTANT.
INTRO: PORT ARTHUR I-S-D
SUPERINTENDENT DOCTOR MARK
PORTERIE SAYS THE RESULTS FROM
THE STAAR TESTS WILL HELP SCHOOL
DISTRICTS LIKE PORT ARTHUR PLAN
FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR.
VO: PORTERIE ADMITS THE
PANDEMIC HAS BEEN TOUGH ON
EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS ALIKE. AS
A RESULT--HE SUPPORTS THE T-
E-A'S RECENT DECISION BECAUSE HE
SAYS IT'S HARD TO GIVE A SCHOOL
DISTRICT AN A THROUGH F RATING
BASED ON HOW ITS PERFORMED SINCE
MARCH--WHEN THE PANDEMIC
STARTED. PORTERIE EXPECTS A
DROP IN SCORES ON THE NEXT STAAR
TESTS DUE TO THE TOLL THE
PANDEMIC HAS TAKEN ON STUDENTS
AND TEACHERS. HOWEVER--HE SAYS
THESE TESTS WILL BE BENEFICIAL
TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS--BECAU SE
THEY'LL AT LEAST PAINT A PICTURE
OF WHERE KIDS ARE--IN THEIR
LEARNING. SOT
: "I THINK IT IS BEST THAT WE
START ADDRESSING THE STUDENT,
THAT WE START ADDRESSING THE
STUDENT, EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT
AND NOT HAVE THAT EXCESS
PRESSURE ON EDUCATION." TAG:
COMING UP AT SIX--DOCTOR
PORTERIE EXPLAINS WHY HE
BELIEVES IT WILL TAKE YEARS FOR
SOME STUDENTS TO GET CAUGHT UP.
ALSO--THE PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS
STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION TELLS
ME WHY SHE'S