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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Biden transition team says Trump administration still hasn't shared vaccine distribution plans
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's transition team said the Trump administration still has not shared its distribution plans for COVID-19 vaccines.
"We have yet to see any kind of detailed plan," Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist who is a member of Biden's transition COVID-19 advisory board, said in an interview Monday on "CBS This Morning."
"We really need to understand what their plan for distribution is," she added. "We've already been trying to get a handle on how many doses will be available to us from each of the companies and by when, but we do need some internal information on that from the federal government. We also need to understand where they are with their plans."
'My colleagues are dog-tired,' US surgeon general says in plea to Americans
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams urged people to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously and follow public health guidelines as infections and hospitalizations soar across the country.
"I want the American people to know this virus is incredibly unforgiving, cases are going up, hospitalizations are going up, my colleagues are dog-tired and we need you to hang on just a little bit longer because we've got vaccines coming but we want as many people to be alive to get them as possible and a lot of that is going to depend on your behavior," Adams told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos in an interview Monday on "Good Morning America."
Although "more people than ever are wearing masks," Adams said he's "very" concerned by the number of people who still "don't understand how much spread is occurring by people who don't have symptoms."
About 20 million "full doses" of COVID-19 vaccines will be available by the end of the year, according to Adams, who urged every American to be immunized against the virus as soon as a vaccine is authorized and made available.
"It's a way that we can ultimately end this pandemic, but it doesn't matter if people won't get the vaccination," the surgeon general said. "We know that vaccine levels are only about 50% for adults for flu and they go down to about 40% for African-Americans."
Adams said he is working with historically black colleges and universities as well as faith communities to bolster vaccine confidence among all populations. The White House is also hosting a vaccine summit Tuesday, he said.
"One thing you can all do right now, it's national flu immunization week, get your flu shot because half a million people were hospitalized last year with the flu," Adams said. "We simply can't afford for that to happen this year with hospitals being overwhelmed."
The surgeon general said the current surge in infections across the country "is different than earlier surges," because it's not about a lack of masks or personal protective equipment, nor is it due to a lack of testing.
"It's really about health care capacity, and certain places are just being overwhelmed," he said. "So we know that we can actually help them with their health care capacity by immunizing their health care staff. We're going to leave it up to the states, but we're going to give them guidance."
Adams noted it's also important to vaccinate those who are most likely to die from COVID-19.
"We know that 40 to 50% of the deaths are occurring in people who are in longterm care facilities who are older," he said.
Hong Kong installs vending machines for COVID-19 test kits
Hong Kong has installed vending machines for COVID-19 test kits in 10 subway stations across the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
The regional government said it will be supplying about 10,000 self-administered test kits to the mass transit authority for distribution to the vending machines across all 10 stations daily, according to a press release.
Hongkongers can purchase the kits using their Octopus transit card.
A recent surge in COVID-19 cases has prompted Hong Kong authorities to tighten restrictions, including banning most social gatherings to just two people. Another 95 new cases were confirmed on Sunday, bringing Hong Kong's total to 6,898 cases with at least 112 deaths.
Biden announces key members of health team
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Monday announced key nominations and appointments of his health team, a slate of experts and public officials who will lead his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
"This trusted and accomplished team of leaders will bring the highest level of integrity, scientific rigor and crisis-management experience to one of the toughest challenges America has ever faced -- getting the pandemic under control so that the American people can get back to work, back to their lives and back to their loved ones," Biden said in a statement. "This team of world-class medical experts and public servants will be ready on day one to mobilize every resource of the federal government to expand testing and masking, oversee the safe, equitable and free distribution of treatments and vaccines, reopen schools and businesses safely, lower prescription drug and other health costs and expand affordable health care to all Americans, and rally the country and restore the belief that there is nothing beyond America's capacity if we do it together."
California Attorney General Xavier Beccera is nominated to serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Vivek Muthy, a physician and research scientist, is nominated to be the Surgeon General, a role he served during the Obama administration.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, an expert on virus testing, prevention and treatment, is nominated to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, an expert on health care disparities, will serve as the COVID-19 Equity Task Force Chair.
As Biden said last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci will stay on in his current role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Fauci will also serve as Biden's chief medical adviser on COVID-19.
Jeff Zients, co-chair of Biden's transition team who led the Obama administration's National Economic Council, will serve as coordinator of the COVID-19 Response as well as counselor to the president.
Natalie Quillian, a national security expert, will serve as deputy coordinator of the COVID-19 response.
ABC News' John Verhovek contributed to this report.
South Africa urges students to quarantine after 'super-spreader' parties
South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has called on final-year students who attended end-of-year parties to immediately self-quarantine for 10 days to prevent spreading the novel coronavirus.
Mkhize made the plea to students and parents on Sunday, after numerous people who recently attended "Rage" parties in Ballito and Jeffrey's Bay tested positive for COVID-19. The events are hosted every year in South Africa as thousands of students celebrate the end of matriculation.
"We confirm that we have now identified a number of COVID-19 confirmed cases arising from these super-spreader events," Mkhize said in a statement. "This therefore means that if you attended any of these Rage events, you are now regarded as a contact."
In addition to quarantining, Mkhize also urged attendees to get tested as soon as possible.
South Africa has the highest tally of COVID-19 infections in all of Africa, with more than 814,000 confirmed cases including over 22,000 deaths.