Coronavirus updates: 1st vaccines now on the way to all 50 US states

Two main trucks left the Pfizer facility on Sunday morning, the company said.

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 71.5 million people and killed over 1.6 million worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.


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US sees record-breaking cases, current hospitalizations 

The U.S. broke records in new COVID-19 cases and current hospitalizations on Friday, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

There were 232,105 new cases, and 108,044 people are currently hospitalized with the virus, the project reported.

The seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases, deaths and current hospitalizations also reached new highs on Friday, it found.

Nevada, South Dakota and Arizona now lead the nation in current hospitalized patients per million people, according to the tracker.


New cases, deaths continue to increase week-over-week, HHS memo shows

After a slowdown in reporting and testing over the Thanksgiving holiday, week-over-week COVID-19 numbers continue to show dramatic increases in new cases and deaths, according to an internal U.S. Department of Health and Human Services memo obtained by ABC News Friday night.

From Dec. 5 to 11, there was an 18.1% increase in new cases and a 26.9% increase in new deaths compared with the previous week, the memo said.

Across the country, 31% of hospitals have more than 80% of their intensive care unit beds filled, and 31% of ventilators in use are occupied by COVID-19 patients, HHS said. Additionally, 21% of inpatients have COVID-19, nearing the all-time peak of 24%.

Cases are sharply rising in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Utah, the memo noted. Maryland, South Dakota and Wyoming have also seen a surge in COVID-19 fatality rates.

-ABC News' Josh Margolin


Another record-breaking day for LA County  

Los Angeles County reported a new high for COVID-19 cases on Friday, topping the record set the day before.

There were 13,815 new cases reported on Friday, surpassing Thursday's record by nearly 1,000.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer attributed the surge to Thanksgiving gatherings.

"The impact of these Thanksgiving surges of cases, on top of already rising cases, is creating extraordinary stress," she said at a briefing. "Should this be followed by another surge related to the winter holiday, the numbers of hospitalizations and patients in the ICU could become catastrophic."

There are 3,624 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19. In two weeks, that could be over 7,300 people, Ferrer warned, if the average number of cases and hospitalizations continue to climb.

-ABC News' Bonnie Mclean and Cammeron Parrish contributed to this report


HHS buys another 100 million doses of Moderna vaccine

The Department of Health and Human Services said it’s buying another 100 million doses of Moderna's vaccine candidate, which is scheduled for review by the FDA advisory committee next Thursday.

The federal government will now own a total 200 million doses of the Moderna vaccine.

ABC News’ Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.


Navajo Nation begins 3-week stay-at-home lockdown

Navajo Nation begins a three-week emergency lockdown on Monday, during which residents are required to remain at home 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Essential businesses, including grocery stores, gas stations, laundromats, hay vendors and restaurants providing drive-thru or curbside service, may remain open on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Off-reservation travel is not permitted and on weekends, a full lockdown will be in place.

"The Navajo Nation’s health care system is in a state of major crisis," Myron Lizer, vice president of Navajo Nation, said in a statement. "We cannot be careless and we have to stay the course."

The rules include exceptions for essential workers and emergency situations. Residents are permitted to leave their homes for essential food, medicine and supplies, as well as outside exercise within the vicinity of their homes and wood gathering.

The lockdown rules will be in effect until Dec. 28.