COVID-19 updates: Anti-vaccine protesters halt vaccinations at Dodger Stadium

Minnesota health officials announced Monday that they have confirmed the first U.S. case of a new, more contagious variant of the novel coronavirus that initially emerged in Brazil.

The patient, who lives in the Twin Cities metro area, had traveled to Brazil before becoming ill during the first week of January, according to a statement from the Minnesota Department of Health. The specimen was collected Jan. 9.

"With the new lab information showing the case to be the Brazil P.1 variant, MDH epidemiologists are re-interviewing the person to obtain more details about the illness, travel and contacts," the Minnesota Department of Health said in the statement.

Officials warned that "while this variant is thought to be more transmissible than the initial 9 strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, it is not yet known whether the variant causes more severe illness."

-ABC News' Sasha Pezenik

The World Health Organization cited new economic research during a press conference Monday, which warns that vaccine nationalism could cost high-income countries $4.5 trillion. Universal vaccination may make it feel as though life is getting back to normal in wealthy countries, but global trade will suffer if poorer nations still have active COVID-19 transmissions, according to research from the International Chamber of Commerce.

"They will not only feel the hit but bear half the cost," said John W.H. Denton AO, secretary general of the ICC. "If you actually want to fix your own economy you're going to have to get involved in fixing the global economy and part of that is that vaccines flow globally and equitably."

Countries need to focus on the tools we already have to drive down COVID-19 transmissions, according to Dr. Bruce Aylward, adviser to WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

"If any country bets everything on the vaccine we're going to lose," Aylward said.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.

Dr. David Kessler, a former head of the Food and Drug Administration who is now overseeing the U.S. effort to accelerate the development, manufacture and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, pushed back the timeline in which most Americans can expect to get vaccinated during an interview on SiriusXM’s "Doctor Radio Reports."

"We're not going to have everyone vaccinated in April, in May, right? Just not gonna happen," Kessler told the radio show's host, Dr. Marc Siegel. "We got to get over 65, essential workers. I think this is going to take us into the fall. We got to get there before next winter, and one of the things I care about very honestly, is we can't do this again.”

The U.S. outbreak may end sooner if Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is more than 80% effective, according to Kessler. But even if that vaccine is highly effective, he added, it will still take months to get priority groups, like older adults and essential workers, vaccinated.

"The bottom line is I wish I could tell you there's plenty of vaccine and we can fill all these endless amounts of appointments. We can't. It's going to take us months to have enough supply," Kessler said.

-ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.

Massachusetts lifted its stay-at-home order Monday, which had asked residents not to go out between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and required businesses to close at 9:30 p.m.

"Vaccines are reaching residents, positive case rates and hospitalizations have stabilized; those trends are moving in the right direction," Gov. Charlie Baker said during a Jan. 21 press conference announcing the loosened restrictions. "As a result, we believe it's OK and it's time to start a gradual easing of some of the restrictions we put in place in the fall," Baker said.

Restaurants and other businesses will still be capped at 25% occupancy until at least Feb. 8, according to Baker. Gatherings are still limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.

-ABC News' Brian Hartman contributed to this report.