COVID-19 updates: Anti-vaccine protesters halt vaccinations at Dodger Stadium
Demonstrators carrying anti-mask and anti-vaccine signs blocked the entrance.
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.
Latest headlines:
- Anti-vaccine protesters halt vaccinations at Dodger Stadium
- South African variant found in Maryland
- US surpasses 90,000 deaths in January
- Brazil variant detected in California
- 'We should be treating every infection as if it's a variant,' CDC director says
- COVID-19 vaccinations won't be required for Tokyo Olympics, organizers say
Pentagon ‘pausing’ plan to vaccinate Guantanamo Bay detainees
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs John Kirby tweeted that the Pentagon is "pausing" the plan to move forward with vaccinations for detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
"We’re pausing the plan to move forward, as we review force protection protocols," Kirby said. "We remain committed to our obligations to keep our troops safe."
No detainees have been vaccinated yet, he said.
ABC News’ Molly Nagle contributed to this report.
California surpasses 40,000 deaths
Hard-hit California has surpassed 40,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to the state’s Department of Public Health.
At least 40,216 people in the Golden State have lost their lives, which equals about 1 in every 1,000 Californians.
ABC News’ Matt Fuhrman contributed to this report.
Nashville's Music City Center opens as mass vaccination site
Nashville's Music City Center opened Saturday as a mass vaccination site.
Those 75 and older who already have an appointment booked can get vaccinated at the concert venue, according to ABC Nashville affiliate WKRN.
"We think that we’ll be able to do up to 1,000 first doses here and up to 1,000 second doses here a day, once we receive enough vaccine for that,” Metro Nashville Health Department Interim Medical Director Gill Wright told WKRN.
South African variant found in Maryland
One case of the South African B.1.351 variant has been confirmed in the Baltimore metro region, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said.
"The individual has not traveled internationally, making community transmission likely," Hogan’s office said. "Comprehensive contact tracing efforts are underway to ensure that potential contacts are quickly identified, quarantined, and tested.
"The B.1.351 variant has not been shown to cause more severe illness or increased risk of death when compared to other variants. The variant is believed to be more transmissible than other strains," Hogan’s office said. "Additional research is still required to determine the effectiveness of available vaccines against the B.1.351 variant. However, initial evidence suggests that vaccines are still likely to be protective against the variant."
The United States’ first cases of the South African variant were confirmed this week in two people in South Carolina.
FEMA bolsters efforts to speed up vaccinations
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Monday that it would be taking a much bigger role in vaccine rollout going forward.
An inter-agency task force will be established to coordinate the federal response to the country's outbreak. The task force will be "developing data dashboards to track personnel movement and vaccine distribution," according to a statement from FEMA.
The agency previously played a supporting role in running down state needs and managing supply chain issues.
FEMA will also set up federally administered vaccination centers. More details on the centers will be made available in the coming weeks, the agency said.
FEMA also announced it would refund the money states spent to use their National Guard troops to respond to the pandemic.
-ABC News' Matthew Vann