COVID toll nears 800,000 to close out year filled with death


              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, prepares to enter a COVID-19 patient's room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, prays in a COVID-19 patient's room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Carolyn Burnett hugs a box holding her son Chris Burnett's ashes Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett arranges items she selected to commemorate her son Chris Burnett Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett pauses before a photo of her son Chris Burnett Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, prays in a COVID-19 patient's room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, prepares to enter a COVID-19 patient's room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, holds the hand of a COVID-19 patient as he prays in a hospital room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, prays in a COVID-19 patient's room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Carolyn Burnett wipes away tears as she sorts through mementos to select items to commemorate her son Chris Burnett on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. ​(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett sorts through mementos to select items to commemorate her son Chris Burnett on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. ​ (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett sorts through mementos to select items to commemorate her son Chris Burnett on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. ​ (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett holds a football presented as an award to her son by the Kansas City Chiefs, Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. ​For its Christmas card photo, the Burnett family ultimately opted to hold up a football presented as a memorial by the Kansas City Chiefs to represent Chris. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett sorts through mementos to select items to commemorate her son Chris Burnett on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, prepares to enter a COVID-19 patient's room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, prays in a COVID-19 patient's room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Carolyn Burnett hugs a box holding her son Chris Burnett's ashes Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett arranges items she selected to commemorate her son Chris Burnett Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett pauses before a photo of her son Chris Burnett Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, prays in a COVID-19 patient's room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, prepares to enter a COVID-19 patient's room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, holds the hand of a COVID-19 patient as he prays in a hospital room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Steve Grove, a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center, prays in a COVID-19 patient's room, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Minneapolis. He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it "didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.” (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
            
              Carolyn Burnett wipes away tears as she sorts through mementos to select items to commemorate her son Chris Burnett on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. ​(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett sorts through mementos to select items to commemorate her son Chris Burnett on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. ​ (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett sorts through mementos to select items to commemorate her son Chris Burnett on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. ​ (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett holds a football presented as an award to her son by the Kansas City Chiefs, Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. ​For its Christmas card photo, the Burnett family ultimately opted to hold up a football presented as a memorial by the Kansas City Chiefs to represent Chris. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Carolyn Burnett sorts through mementos to select items to commemorate her son Chris Burnett on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Olathe, Kan. Chris Burnett, an unvaccinated 34-year-old father who coached football at Olathe East High School, died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
COVID toll nears 800,000 to close out year filled with death