COLORADO SPRINGS — Good morning southern Colorado and here's what you need to know on your Wednesday, April 14.
If you'd like to read the full story, be sure to click on the story headline.
_____
Vaccines received at Dr. Moma Health and Wellness Clinic considered invalid, state says
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) says they’re unable to verify if vaccines received at Dr. Moma Health and Wellness Clinic in El Paso County are viable.
CDPHE said Tuesday night that the clinic failed to provide the state with proper documentation of temperature storage. After consulting with the CDC, CDPHE released recommendations for patients who were vaccinated at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic.
On Friday, CDPHE suspended administration and distribution of all COVID-19 vaccines at the site as a result of potential irregularities in vaccine storage and handling. A CDPHE and CDC investigation identified substandard vaccine storage and handling, vaccine preparation, mass clinic operations and poor record-keeping practices.
CDPHE and the Colorado Joint Vaccine Task Force are also taking additional steps to ensure all providers are meeting storage and handling requirements.
_____
Colorado pauses use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
In response to the joint CDC and FDA announcement and out of an abundance of caution, today the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Joint Vaccine Task Force are alerting providers to temporarily pause use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
Anyone scheduled to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will either receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine instead, or the vaccine provider will contact them to reschedule their appointment once FDA and CDC release additional information.
The state’s mobile vaccination buses, which have been administering only the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, are canceled Tuesday and Wednesday. More information will be provided when it becomes available.
Federal health officials recommended temporarily suspending use of the vaccine after reviewing reports of six individuals in the U.S. who got rare and severe blood clots after receiving the vaccine. The federal government is allowing states to determine whether to pause use, and CDPHE is requiring providers to stop administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until additional information becomes available.
_____
Get your latest First Alert 5 Weather forecast
Cloudy and breezy today behind the light snow we saw overnight. There will be snowmelt today for those areas that had accumulation, but not much really fell in the region.
We're going to stay cloudy, chilly, and breezy today with dry skies in the afternoon along and east of I-25.
Snow and rain showers will move out of the mountains through the plains tonight, but little snow accumulation is expected.
_____
Senate passes bill which would require gun owners to safely store their firearms
Colorado state lawmakers have passed a bill that requires gun shops to provide metal gun locks with every purchase of a firearm.
The second, and more controversial bill, requires gun owners to use a trigger lock or store their weapons in a safe when they know a child or someone who should not be in possession of a gun could otherwise easily get to it. A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine or jail time.
No Republican lawmakers voted in favor of either bill. They await the signature of Governor Jared Polis before becoming state law.
_____
We're now 100 days out from in 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Tokyo Olympic and metropolitan officials unveiled statues of the Olympic mascots to celebrate the countdown to the games. But, 100 days before the start of the games, organizers still face a growing number of challenges and uncertainty as the pandemic continues around the world affecting decisions on everything from athlete safety to spectator numbers to ticket sales.
The games will start on July 23 and run through August 8. The opening ceremony will be held on July 23.
NBC Universal has acquired the official rights to broadcast the 2020 game in the United States. A schedule of events and competitions, as well as where to watch the games can be found at NBCOlympics.com.
You can watch the games with KOAA News5 as we bring you the stories of the athletes and the connections to Colorado Springs, home of the US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center and the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum.
206 teams compromised of more than 11,000 athletes from across the globe will be competing in the games. More than 300 events will take place in nearly 40 venues across Japan.
____
KOAA News5 on your time, streaming on your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and AndroidTV.
News5 App | First Alert 5 Weather App | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
