A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 102.5 million people worldwide and killed over 2.2 million of them, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
People dine inside a restaurant on Nov. 9, 2020 in New York City.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images, FILE
Indoor dining was shut down in New York City in December.
On March 15, in-person weddings can resume in New York at 50% capacity, or up to 150 people, he said.
Meanwhile, in hard-hit Los Angeles County, outdoor dining is now allowed to reopen at 50% capacity, but with a restriction: TVs must remain off.
Jan 29, 2021, 11:18 AM EST
US numbers still high but trends are encouraging: CDC expert
Dr. Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Friday the U.S. has seen a decline in the last two weeks of new cases and hospitalizations, which is “encouraging." But, he added, "The numbers nationally are still high."
"The pandemic is not yet over yet," Butler told the Infectious Diseases Society of America. "By the time we end our 45 minutes together, roughly 100 more Americans will have died of COVID-19."
A sign points to the location of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination station at Menominee Indian High School in Menominee county, Wisc., Jan. 28, 2021.
Lauren Justice/Reuters
People from rural communities receive their coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccinations at Menominee Indian High School in Menominee county, Wisc., Jan. 28, 2021.
Lauren Justice/Reuters
Butler stressed that the vaccines are safe and effective and that mild side effects are normal.
"The available data tells us that more than half of people have reported some degree of tiredness and pain at the injection site, although most are able to continue normal daily activities," Butler said. "Many also report symptoms such as headache, muscle pain or chills after getting their shots, particularly in the first couple of days. These data also suggest that it may be more common among younger persons after the second dose, but again, this is expected based on some of the data that were available from the clinical trials."
ABC News’ Sophie Tatum contributed to this report.
Jan 29, 2021, 10:47 AM EST
EU approves AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca’s vaccine on Friday was recommended for conditional marketing authorization in the European Union for people 18 and older. The vaccine is given as two doses.
A vial of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine is pictured at the Lochee Health Centre in Dundee, Jan. 4, 2021.
Andy Buchanan/POOL/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
This is the third vaccine, following Pfizer and Moderna, to be approved by the European Medicines Agency. The AstraZeneca vaccine now awaits final say from the European Commission.
Jan 29, 2021, 8:43 AM EST
J&J single-shot vaccine 85% effective against severe COVID-19 disease
In another promising development for vaccine science, Johnson & Johnson announced Friday that its COVID-19 vaccine -- a single shot tested against a complex barrage of newly emerged variants of the virus -- is 66% effective at preventing symptomatic disease and 85% effective against preventing severe illness.
The U.S. pharmaceutical giant said the vaccine is also safe to take. Volunteers experienced mild reactions after the shot, with less than 10% experiencing fever, according to a company press release.
This September 2020 photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the company.
Cheryl Gerber/Courtesy of Johnson & Johnson via AP, FILE
The full data package will be made publicly available and will be evaluated by the FDA's advisory committee sometime in mid- to late February.
The Food and Drug Administration has said it will consider a vaccine that's more than 50% effective, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine exceeds this threshold. An emergency use authorization could be given and people could start receiving shots before the end of February.
ABC News' Sony Salzman contributed to this report.
