New York health provider may have fraudulently obtained COVID-19 vaccine
The vaccine was then given to members of the public not yet eligible.
A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 80.2 million people worldwide and killed over 1.7 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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Biden applauds COVID relief package but says more work is needed
President-elect Joe Biden has applauded the COVID-19 relief bill passed Monday by the House and Senate.
In a tweet early Tuesday morning, Biden voiced his approval of the package, but warned that Congress still has more work to do in the new year.
"I applaud this relief package, but our work is far from over. Starting in the new year, Congress will need to immediately get to work on support for our COVID-19 plan
My message to everyone out there struggling right now: help is on the way," he tweeted.
Top military officials receive COVID-19 vaccine
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and other top military officials received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Monday, according to a Joint Staff spokesman.
Milley's team tweeted photos of him, Vice Chairman Gen. John Hyten, and Senior Enlisted Advisor Ramón Colón-López Monday, each with a needle in his arm.
“Today I, along with the Vice Chairman and the SEAC, received the #COVID19 vaccine. It’s my distinct honor to represent the Joint Force in this capacity. This vaccine is safe and effective and will protect our force as we work to protect American citizens," Milley was quoted as saying in the official tweet.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday also tweeted a photo of himself receiving the vaccine on Monday.
"By maximizing vaccination among our force and maintaining our mitigation measures of physical distancing, mask-wearing, and handwashing, we will begin the return to normal. Safe and healthy is the goal for 2021! Together, we will make this happen," the tweet read.
-ABC News' Matt Seyler
US hospitalizations reach new record
The U.S. broke another record for coronavirus hospitalizations Monday, the COVID Tracking Project reported.
There were 115,351 people hospitalized across the nation on Dec. 21, according to the health data.
The country recorded 178,191 new cases and 1,485 new deaths, the tracking project reported.
The seven-day average of hospitalizations, 113,912, and deaths, 2,631, broke records, according to the health data.
"COVID-19 deaths are rising in 19 states," the tracking project tweeted.
US deaths, cases continue to rise: HHS
The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths jumped over the last seven days, according to an internal U.S. Department of Health and Human Services memo obtained by ABC News.
In the last week, the country recorded 1,677,232 new cases, which was a 13.6% increase from the previous seven-day period, according to the memo.
There were 18,578 deaths recorded during the last seven days, marking a 9.2% jump from the previous week, according to HHS.
Nearly 30% of hospitals across the country have more than 80% of their ICU beds filled, the memo said.
Several states recorded large jumps in hospitalizations last week, according to HHS.
On Dec 18, Louisiana state officials reported its 30-day increase in hospitalization was 82% and there were only 19.1% of ICU beds were available, according to the memo.
Nevada's COVID-19 deaths increased by 21% in the week ending Dec. 15, compared to the prior week, HHS said.
-ABC News' Josh Margolin contributed to this report
US to require negative test for air travelers from UK
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will now require a negative COVID-19 test for all air travelers coming to the United States from the United Kingdom in the wake of news about new strains of the virus being detected in the U.K.
Everyone arriving in the U.S. must have a negative PCR or antigen test from within 72 hours of departure, according to a statement from the CDC.
"The public health authorities in the United Kingdom recently announced the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2," the CDC wrote in its announcement. "Viruses constantly change through mutation, and preliminary analysis in the U.K. suggests that this new variant may be up to 70% more transmissible than previously circulating variants."
Passengers will have to provide written documentation of the negative test and airlines will be required to confirm the information, the CDC said. Airlines will have to refuse anyone without a negative test.
While the strain appears to be more transmissible, there's no evidence it is more deadly, or that the vaccines currently being rolled out won't be effective against it.
President Donald Trump, who is spending the Christmas holiday in Florida, will sign the executive order on Friday and it will go into effect on Monday.
Dozens of countries have largely banned travelers from the U.K., at least temporarily, including Canada, Mexico, Russia, China and India. The U.S. is one of a handful of countries that will require negative tests, including Greece and Spain.