The presence of a new, more-contagious strain of the coronavirus has been confirmed for the first time in New York state, which at one point was the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the variant, which has spread uncontrolled in England, was identified in a man in his 60s who works at a Saratoga Springs jewelry store. Cuomo said the man has not traveled recently, pointing to the likelihood of community spread.
Vaccine rollout in the U.S. is still ramping up, and less than 4.6 million people have received a first dose even though more than 15.4 million have been distributed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New Jersey officials said only 25% of the doses sent to the state have been administered, but they expect the pace to pick up now that the holidays are over.
More than 1.3 million travelers passed through the nation's airports on Sunday, a new pandemic travel record as many passengers returned home from their holiday destinations. Those numbers are still down significantly from a year ago, but the holiday travel season was stronger than expected despite warnings from public health officials.
The first Americans to get the Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus in mid-December, mostly health care workers, started to get inoculated with a second dose Monday.
Stay safe and informed with updates on the spread of the coronavirus
The U.S. coronavirus numbers are in for December, and they are grisly. New infections jumped more than 40% from November – and November had more than twice as many cases as any previous month. The December death toll also set a record. More details below.
President-elect Joe Biden’s pledge to administer 100 million shots of the vaccine within his first 100 days in office is achievable, says Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert.