Coronavirus updates: 1st vaccines now on the way to all 50 US states

Two main trucks left the Pfizer facility on Sunday morning, the company said.

Last Updated: December 9, 2020, 4:21 PM EST

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 71.5 million people and killed over 1.6 million worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed this week. All times Eastern.
Dec 09, 2020, 4:21 PM EST

2.9 million doses to go out immediately upon FDA authorization

Once the FDA approves the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, 2.9 million doses will go out immediately in the U.S., said Gen. Gus Perna, commander of the Army Materiel Command. The second batch of 2.9 million will be close behind, within 21 days, Perna said.

RN Clinical Staff Educator Diane Mikelsons receives a mock Pfizer vaccine for the coronavirus disease during a staff vaccine training session at UW Health in Madison, Wis., Dec. 8, 2020.
John Maniaci/UW Health via Reuters

An elderly couple wearing a protective face masks walks past the Pfizer Inc. headquarters on Dec. 9, 2020, in New York.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Twenty million Americans are expected to be vaccinated by the end of 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said.

"We remain confident that across our portfolio of multiple vaccines, we will have enough doses for any American who wants a vaccine by the end of the second quarter of 2021," Azar said.

After two allergic reactions to the Pfizer/BioNTechvaccine were reported in the United Kingdom, Moncef Slaoui, Trump’s chief scientific adviser on vaccines, told reporters, "The expectation would be that subjects with known severe reaction, allergic reaction, should not take the vaccine, until we understand exactly what happened here."

ABC News' Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.

Dec 09, 2020, 4:10 PM EST

US marks deadliest week since beginning of pandemic

The last week marks the deadliest week for the U.S. since the beginning of the pandemic, with 15,578 deaths -- roughly equivalent to 92 deaths reported every hour.

Swabbers prepare to test motorists for COVID-19 at a testing site outside McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I, Dec. 9, 2020.
David Goldman/AP

The U.S. is now averaging more than 200,000 new cases each day -- three times higher than the country's summer peak in July, and more than six times higher than the country's spring peak in April.

There has not been a single day with less than 100,000 daily cases for the last five straight weeks, according to an ABC News analysis of data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project.

In the last week alone, the U.S. has reported 1.4 million new COVID-19 cases, more than any other week on record, and equivalent to 1 in every 231 Americans testing positive.

With numerous days now over the 200,000 mark, the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases has increased by 87% in the last month.

ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.

Dec 09, 2020, 2:27 PM EST

Pennsylvania governor tests positive

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday and is isolating at home.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf speaks during a news conference in Harrisburg, Pa., Nov. 4, 2020.
Julio Cortez/AP, FILE

"I have no symptoms and am feeling well," Wolf said in a statement. “I am continuing to serve the commonwealth and performing all of my duties remotely."

Wolf's wife has been tested and is awaiting results.

Dec 09, 2020, 2:13 PM EST

Germany reports record rise in deaths

A record 590 new fatalities were reported in Germany on Wednesday, beating the record previously set Tuesday of 568 new deaths, the Robert Koch-Institute reported.

Germany has now lost 19,932 lives to COVID-19.

People walk across the Viktualienmarkt marketplace as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in Munich, Germany, Dec. 9, 2020.
Andreas Gebert/Reuters

"A reversal of this trend so far is not in sight," German Deputy Government spokesperson Martina Fietz said, adding that in some regions, hospitals are reaching their limits.

"With more than 4,200 people in intensive care, the number is considerably higher than in the spring," Fietz said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke in parliament Wednesday, pleading with regional leaders to enforce tighter regulations to stop the spread.

Over 1.2 million people in Germany have been diagnosed.

ABC News' Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.

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