Coronavirus updates: CDC issues stricter guidance for Thanksgiving
"Celebrate with people in your household," the agency says in updated guidance.
A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.2 million people worldwide.
Over 50.4 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks. The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has also varied from country to country.
Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the virus has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica. The United States is the worst-affected nation, with more than 10 million diagnosed cases and at least 237,742 deaths.
Nearly 200 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least 10 of which are in crucial phase three studies. Of those 10 potential vaccines in late-stage trials, there are currently five that will be available in the United States if approved.
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Stricter COVID rules take effect in NJ Thursday, governor says
Gov. Phil Murphy announced stricter coronavirus rules in New Jersey Monday, including restrictions on bars, restaurants and casinos. Starting Nov. 12, indoor dining and drinks will be not be allowed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Takeout and delivery services, as well as outdoor dining, are still permitted. In addition to dining restrictions, all interstate games and tournaments for indoor youth sports are prohibited, starting Thursday.
"It is simply not safe for teams to be crossing state lines at this time to participate in indoor competitions," Murphy wrote on Twitter.
The rules come on the heels of rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in New Jersey, as well as a testing positivity rate that exceeds the threshold health experts recommend. "We’re taking steps today to mitigate the current increasing rate of spread," Murphy added.
"The last thing I want to do is shut our economy back down. Thankfully, we’re not at that point."
New record: US surpasses 10 million COVID-19 cases
The United States hit another grim milestone Monday afternoon, when it surpassed 10 million COVID-19 infections, according to Johns Hopkins University.
With 10,018,278 COVID-19 cases, the U.S. has reported more infections than any other nation. India, which has the second highest number of infections, reported 8,553,657 COVID-19 cases as of Monday.
So far, 237,742 Americans have died of COVID-19.
2nd COVID wave looms in NYC, mayor says
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to wear masks and keep six feet apart as he warned of a looming second wave of COVID-19 during a Monday press conference. The city's positivity rate has moved in the wrong direction over the past few days, according to de Blasio.
"We have to act immediately to turn this around," he added.
While cases, testing positivity rates and deaths are all rising, they remain far below what New York City experienced in the spring, which de Blasio described as "horrendous." For now, hospitalizations are decreasing. "We did it before," de Blasio said of using masks and social distancing to drive down transmission rates. "We need to do it again right now."
US poised to surpass record-breaking 10 million COVID cases today
As a new administration prepares to take the helm in Washington, D.C., the United States is expected to surpass a staggering 10 million confirmed coronavirus cases. The expected milestone follows five consecutive days in which COVID-19 cases in the U.S. topped 100,000.
Every state in the country, except for Hawaii, is reporting an increasing number of COVID-19 cases, according to an ABC News analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project.
Japan and China, by comparison, have reported 109,000 cases and 91,600 cases respectively as of Nov. 9, according to Johns Hopkins University.
ABC News' Soorin Kim, Brian Hartman, Benjamin Bell and Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.
Early data shows Pfizer's vaccine is more than 90% effective
In a promising development, an initial glimpse at the data from Pfizer's ongoing late-stage clinical trial shows that the American pharmaceutical giant's COVID-19 vaccine is more effective at preventing the disease than placebo.
A press release from Pfizer early Monday morning said the vaccine, being co-developed with Germany's BioNTech, was "found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19" according to an early analysis that included 94 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in trial participants.
"With today’s news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis," Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
Vaccine experts told ABC News these results are "encouraging."
More safety data is still necessary before the company will apply for a limited authorization for high-risk individuals (i.e. elderly, health care providers and/or first responders) or the more complete Biologics License Application that grants approval for almost everyone.
Pfizer's vaccine won't be rolled out in any mass immunization campaign just yet. First, the company must demonstrate that the vaccine is not just effective but also safe. According to guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, that means at least two months of safety data after the last injection in half the volunteers.
The company plans to submit for FDA authorization in the third week of November. From there, it could take the FDA two to four weeks to make an authorization decision after a public hearing and a recommendation from an independent vaccine advisory committee.
According to FDA guidance, companies are permitted to ask for an emergency authorization based on efficacy data from an interim analysis, plus at least two months of safety data.
This could make Pfizer the first company to have a vaccine available in the United States if given the green light by the FDA. Other companies, like Moderna, are not far behind.
Operation Warp Speed chief advisor Dr. Moncef Slaoui told ABC News that if everything continues to go according to plan and there are no major scientific or manufacturing delays, most Americans could have access to a vaccine by spring 2021 and possibly be immunized by June.
ABC News' Sony Salzman and Eric Strauss contributed to this report.