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 14, 2020, 3:35 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 12, 2020, 7:15 AM EST

Friday was deadliest day since COVID-19 pandemic began, data shows

A record number of people -- 3,309 -- died from COVID-19 Friday, according to new data from Johns Hopkins University.

Medics transfer a patient on a stretcher from an ambulance outside of Emergency at Coral Gables Hospital where Coronavirus patients are treated near Miami, Dec. 10, 2020.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Medical staff member Gabriel Cervera Rodoriguez stands and takes by the bedside of an enshrouded patient that was lost in the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Dec. 11, 2020.
Go Nakamura/Getty Images

Friday's record shattered the previous single-day record death toll of 3,124 which was set Wednesday.

Dec 12, 2020, 5:28 AM EST

77 COVID-19 cases linked to youth basketball tournament in Santa Clara County

An outbreak of COVID-19, resulting in 77 positive cases, has been traced to a youth basketball tournament held last month in California's Santa Clara County, public health officials said Friday.

At the tournament, held Nov. 7 and 8 at Courtside Basketball Center in Placer County, were 39 middle school and high school players, three coaches and 35 “additional contacts.”

Officials said it violated local and state orders for youth sports put in place during the coronavirus pandemic.

Another 17 cases outside the county have also been traced to the event, officials said in a news release.

“This outbreak is a troubling reminder that the widespread prevalence of COVID-19 in our community threatens all of us, and does not limit itself to geographic boundaries,” Dr. Monika Roy, Santa Clara County’s assistant public health officer, said in a statement.

“Public Health orders, directives, and guidance around contact sports and sporting events are in place for a reason. The risk of transmission in these settings can easily result in community spread that threatens the most vulnerable among us.”

The California Department of Public Health is investigating the incident, according to the news release, and Courtside’s website said the center is closed until further notice “out of precaution with the statewide lockdown and for the safety of all.”

The outbreak comes as California is seeing record numbers of COVID-19 cases during the holiday season.

Dec 12, 2020, 1:59 AM EST

FedEx to begin delivering Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine across US

FedEx took to Twitter Friday night to announce that it's on track to start delivering Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, which was given emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration Friday.

“We’re in motion to begin delivering our first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from @pfizer -@BioNTech_Group to communities across the U.S.,"FedEx tweeted.

A truck backs into the loading dock of the Pfizer Global Supply manufacturing plant in Portage, Mich., Dec. 11, 2020.
Rebecca Cook/Reuters

In a press release, the transportation company -- which has more than 90 cold chain facilities across five continents -- said it will use its FedEx Priority Overnight service to get vaccines to dosing centers around the country, and soon, the world.

"Vaccine distribution will be balanced among major cargo carriers, and FedEx is working closely with healthcare customers to prepare for additional vaccine shipments and transportation of critical vaccine-related supplies," they said in their statement.

Dec 11, 2020, 10:16 PM EST

Mexico approves emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

Mexico approved emergency use of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.

The announcement came shortly before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that it had authorized Pfizer's vaccine. Mexico has recorded over 1.2 million cases and 113,000 deaths -- fourth-most globally behind the U.S., Brazil and India.

The United Kingdom, Bahrain and Canada have also authorized the vaccine.

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