Coronavirus updates: Herd immunity by fall 'ambitious,' says surgeon general nominee

In 44 states, the seven-day average of new cases dropped over 10%.

ByMorgan Winsor, Erin Schumaker, and Emily Shapiro

Last Updated: January 25, 2021, 4:55 AM EST

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 98.7 million people worldwide and killed over 2.1 million of them, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

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Here's how the news developed this week. All times Eastern.

Jan 22, 2021, 2:49 PM EST

New Jersey confirms 1st cases of UK variant

Two people -- a man and a child -- were identified as the first cases of the United Kingdom variant in New Jersey, officials said.

The Ocean County man, who is in his 60s, had no travel history or clear exposures to others who were ill, said the state’s Health Commissioner, Judy Persichilli.

He developed symptoms on Dec. 29 and was tested one week later. His “symptoms have since resolved and he was never hospitalized,” Persichilli said.

The child, who had traveled to northern New Jersey, was tested on Jan. 11 in New York City and is asymptomatic, she said.

ABC News’ Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

Jan 22, 2021, 2:30 PM EST

California reports highest daily death toll

California reported its highest daily death toll since the start of the pandemic with another 764 lives lost.

The state reported 23,024 new cases on Friday.

A nurse works in a Covid-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at Martin Luther King Jr (MLK) Community Hospital in the Willowbrook neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Jan 22, 2021, 2:01 PM EST

Severe allergic reactions rare but possible with Moderna vaccine

A CDC report released Friday indicates that the risk of severe allergic reactions with Moderna's vaccine is low. Severe, life threatening allergic reactions were seen in 2.5 cases per million people receiving the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the report said.

A vial with the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is displayed at the corona vaccination centre at the University hospital in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, Jan. 22, 2021.
Ronny Hartmann/AFP via Getty Images

Of the 4,041,396 first doses given as of Jan. 10, there were 1,266 (0.03%) reports of "adverse events," the report said. Among those, 108 "adverse events" were considered as possible cases of severe allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis. Ten cases were determined to be anaphylaxis (a rate of 2.5 anaphylaxis cases per 1 million doses) including nine people with a documented history of allergies or allergic reactions, the report said.

ABC News’ Sony Salzman contributed to this report.

Jan 22, 2021, 1:43 PM EST

UK variant may be associated with higher mortality, Boris Johnson says

More people are testing positive for the United Kingdom’s variant of the coronavirus, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday “there is some evidence that the new variant may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.”

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a virtual press conference on the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, at 10 Downing Street in central London on Jan. 22, 2021.
Leon Neal/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

U.K. Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty stressed that the data is uncertain and there is a chance the new variant is increasing infections and mortality.