East Coast snowstorm halts planes, jabs

NEW YORK－A huge snowstorm brought chaos to the United States' East Coast on Monday, forcing thousands of flights to be canceled, school closures and the postponement of coronavirus vaccinations as New York City steeled itself for possibly one of its heaviest snowfalls.

The National Weather Service issued storm warnings from Virginia to Maine－home to tens of millions of people－as heavy snow mixed with wind gusts up to 80 kilometers per hour spurred blizzard-like conditions along the eastern seaboard.

New York declared a state of emergency that restricted nonessential travel, moved all children back to remote learning and rescheduled long-awaited vaccine shots as the city braced for almost 60 centimeters of snow.

Salt trucks and snow plows moved out across New York's streets, already quieter than usual due to COVID-19, as Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the few children who had returned to pandemic-era classrooms would also stay at home on Tuesday.

More than 1,600 US flights were canceled－mostly at airports in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington－disrupting travel that has already been heavily curtailed by the pandemic.

Airlines canceled all flights in and out of LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, while 71 percent of flights were scrapped at Newark Liberty Airport.

COVID-19 vaccination sites and testing locations were forced to close or change schedules.

All six vaccine mega-sites across New Jersey were closed on Monday, and vaccine appointments were rescheduled at many New York state-run sites. Vaccinations and testing were also suspended at NYC public hospitals and health centers.

De Blasio said that, with the city facing up to 56 cm of snow, vaccinations would be postponed on Tuesday. "The storm is disrupting our vaccination effort, and we need to keep people safe," he told a briefing.

Long-duration event

In Boston, health officials closed a vaccine clinic at the Reggie Lewis Center, a large indoor sports center.

The storm is expected to be a long-duration event with snow spreading northward on Monday into the night and continuing for some places through Wednesday morning, especially parts of the North Country, Southern Tier and Central New York, according to an official release issued on Monday.

"This is expected to be one of the bigger snowfall events for New York City," Matthew Wunsch, a National Weather Service forecaster, said.

In Washington, where snow and ice has formed since Sunday, President Joe Biden postponed a scheduled visit to the State Department due to the conditions.

New Jersey issued a state of emergency, allowing authorities to close roads, evacuate homes and commandeer equipment needed for public safety.

Some Northeasterners welcomed the heavy snowfall, sharing on social media photos of streets, parks and backyards blanketed with the white stuff, and happy pets playing in the snow.

Agencies - Xinhua