Coronavirus updates: US reports nearly 300,000 new cases in all-time high

Life Care Center of Kirkland, the Washington State nursing facility where 39 residents died during a coronavirus outbreak in February and March, began vaccinating staff and residents against the virus on Monday.

The nursing home was the site of the the United States' first outbreak. Now, roughly 10 months after Kirkland showcased how vulnerable long-term care facilities were to COVID-19, CVS is distributing the vaccine there.

Ellie Schutt, executive director of Life Care Center of Kirkland, said everyone is thankful the vaccine is available and being administered.

"But it means a little more to see vaccinations happening at Kirkland," Schutt said in a statement.

In South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new restrictions Monday in response to rising COVID-19 infections.

The new rules include an earlier curfew, in place between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., with restaurants required to close at 8 p.m. Public beaches and riverbanks are closed and public gatherings are banned. Anyone not wearing a mask in public is subject to arrest, fines and six months of imprisonment. Alcohol sales and on-site consumption are prohibited, effective immediately. The new restrictions will be in effect until Jan. 15.

Instead of lighting fireworks for New Year's Eve, Ramaphosa suggested that South Africans light candles in memory of those who have died from the virus.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.

New York State Police will refer ParCare Community Health Network to the New York Attorney General’s office for allegedly misappropriating the Moderna vaccine, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.

State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said the Orange County-based health care provider obtained the vaccine under false pretenses, moved it to Brooklyn, and gave it to people who weren't on the priority list. While ParCare is the only organization currently under criminal investigation, the governor said recipients of the vaccine who violated the state's distribution plan could also face charges.

"Whenever you have a valuable commodity that is being dispensed you should expect fraud," Cuomo said.

Under New York's current plan for "1A" distribution, only medical workers, first responders and nursing home staff members are allowed to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Other groups will follow in future rounds.

"We take this very seriously," Zucker said in a statement last week. "Anyone found to have knowingly participated in this scheme will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

New York State Police and other investigators were at the ParCare location in Borough Park on Saturday night.

A spokesman for ParCare told ABC News Sunday evening that it is cooperating with the state investigation and will return its unused vials. ParCare received 2,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine, and 869 of those doses have already been administered, according to the spokesperson.

"ParCare followed all NYS DOH procedures for obtaining the Moderna vaccine and was approved by NYS DOH for distribution and by CDC as a network site. As a result, we have properly received the vaccines and have provided the documentation regarding the proper receipt of the vaccines to the NYS DOH," the spokesperson told ABC News.

With regards to the patients who received their first shot, ParCare said it will be "working with the state to ensure that we provide the second dose for our patients."

-ABC News' Ivan Pereira, Sasha Pezenik and Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

British health authorities reported 41,385 new COVID-19 cases Monday, the highest daily rise since the pandemic began. Over the last seven days, 256,220 people tested positive, which is a 25.7% increase in positive tests since the week prior.

England's Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance said last week that the newly identified U.K. variant is more dominant and significantly more transmissible than the old coronavirus variant.

There’s no evidence the new variants are more deadly and it’s highly likely the vaccine will still work, experts said at a virtual Q&A hosted by the World Health Organization last week.

In total, the U.K. has reported 2,329,730 infections and 71,109 deaths from the virus.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.