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 lays out top COVID-19 priorities for 1st 100 days in office
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday outlined his top three COVID-19 priorities for his first 100 days in office: a 100-day mask-wearing program, 100 million doses of the vaccine into Americans arms in the first 100 days, and getting schools reopened permanently.
"We didn’t get into this mess quickly. We're not going to get out of it quickly," Biden said. "But I'm absolutely convinced that, in 100 days, we can change the course of the disease and change life in America for the better."
Biden warned that distributing the vaccine would be one of the hardest and costliest challenges the country will face and will require the cooperation of Congress.
“We’re gonna need Congress to fully fund vaccine distribution to all corners of the country, to everyone," Biden said. "I'm encouraged by the bipartisan efforts in Congress around a $900 billion economic relief package which I've said is critical, but this package is only a start for more action early next year."
"We'll also need the Trump administration to act now," Biden added, "to purchase the doses it has negotiated with Pfizer and Moderna, and to work swiftly to scale manufacturing to U.S. populations and the world."
ABC News' Molly Nagle contributed to this report.
Washington state extends restrictions through holidays
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said the state's restriction on social gatherings, restaurants, bars, gyms and religious services will be extended to Jan. 4, 2021.
"We need to buckle down through the holidays," Inslee tweeted.
"The hospitalization projections are scary. We’re already at 80% ICU capacity," Inslee said, adding, "our hospitals are still on the brink."
Washington state has over 184,000 diagnosed COVID-19 cases and at least 2,941 fatalities.
Over 150 arrested at 'super spreader' party in LA County
Thirty-five juveniles and 116 adults were arrested at a "super spreader" underground party this weekend in Palmdale, California, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
The sheriff said the party was in clear violation of the governor's stay-at-home order, adding that the party would have been targeted without the pandemic due to allegations of drugs, weapons, prostitution and underage trafficking.
ABC News' Alex Stone contributed to this report.
Massachusetts enacts new restrictions as cases, hospitalizations rise
Massachusetts will roll back its reopening plans on Sunday as cases and hospitalizations rise in the aftermath of Thanksgiving, Gov. Charlie Baker said.
Capacity will be reduced from 50% to 40% in facilities including offices, gyms, places of worship and retail stores, Baker said.
In offices, people must wear masks when they're not alone, and at gyms, customers must wear masks at all times.
Changes are also coming to Massachusetts restaurants. Customers must wear masks at all times except when eating and drinking, and their time at tables will be capped at 90 minutes.
UK prepares for Tuesday's rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations
Doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have been delivered across the United Kingdom, ahead of the launch of the country's immunization program.
The potentially life-saving vaccine will be administered nationwide starting Tuesday morning, and some 800,000 doses were expected to be in place for the first day of what will be the largest-scale immunization program in U.K. history.
Vaccinations will be rolled out in phases, with elderly care home residents and their carers first on the priority list, followed by anyone else aged 80 and over, as well as frontline health and social care workers.
Last week, the U.K. became the first country in the world to authorize the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for emergency use. The vaccine was shown in late-stage clinical trials to be more than 95% effective in preventing COVID-19.