December 8 coronavirus news

By Julia Hollingsworth, Adam Renton, Nada Bashir, Luke McGee, Ed Upright, Meg Wagner and Melissa Macaya, CNN

Updated 12:00 a.m. ET, December 9, 2020
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11:06 a.m. ET, December 8, 2020

Arizona reports nearly 7,000 new Covid-19 cases

From CNN’s Konstantin Toropin

Latajah Byron, a medical assistant at Embry Women's Health, registers a person at a COVID-19 testing site on December 2 in Peoria, Arizona.
Latajah Byron, a medical assistant at Embry Women's Health, registers a person at a COVID-19 testing site on December 2 in Peoria, Arizona. Sean Logan/The Republic/USA Today Network

Arizona has posted a record-setting number of new Covid-19 cases today — 6,973 new cases, according to the state's data dashboard.

Today's case count replaces the old record-high of 5,442 cases that was set on Dec. 3.

Arizona did report a massive 10,322 new Covid-19 cases on Dec. 1, but the state's health department said "this large number of newly reported cases is a result of the extended four-day weekend.” Because of the lag in the data reporting, it is not clear how those cases break down over the Thanksgiving holiday days.

The state has been experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases in the last few weeks with daily case counts regularly topping 3,000 new Covid-19 cases. 

Arizona has reported a total of 378,157 cases of Covid-19 and 6,973 reported deaths to the disease since the pandemic began. 

Note: Some of these numbers were released by the Arizona Department of Health Services and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN's database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.

10:44 a.m. ET, December 8, 2020

New York City mayor says “next week the vaccine will be here in NYC”

From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a press conference in New York City on December 8.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a press conference in New York City on December 8. NYC Media

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that while the world is 10 months into the pandemic crisis, there is finally an “end in sight” as “next week the vaccine will be here in NYC.”

“This is the final phase of the war against the coronavirus,” he said Tuesday. 

“We have one more big battle ahead,” he said, stressing that everyone just needs to get through the next few winter months.

Remember: The US Food and Drug Administration's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday to discuss Pfizer's application for emergency use authorization for its coronavirus vaccine candidate.

A similar meeting is scheduled next week for Moderna's vaccine candidate. FDA officials say their decisions on the vaccines could come days to weeks after the meetings — it depends on what questions come up.

9:47 a.m. ET, December 8, 2020

The UK approved a Covid-19 vaccine before the US. Here's why.

From CNN's Zamira Rahim

Operations for the roll-out of the first Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine doses get underway at a health center in Cardiff, Wales, on December 8.
Operations for the roll-out of the first Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine doses get underway at a health center in Cardiff, Wales, on December 8. Sarah Tilotta/CNN

The UK began administering the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine outside clinical trials today, just days after the country approved the vaccine last week.

The US has not yet approved any coronavirus vaccine: The US Food and Drug Administration's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday to discuss Pfizer's application for emergency use authorization for its coronavirus vaccine candidate, but FDA officials say their decisions on the vaccine could come days to weeks after the meetings — it depends on what questions come up.

So why was the UK first? The vaccine was granted emergency authorization in the UK by its independent regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which has played a crucial part in the process.

The MHRA began a rolling review of Pfizer and BioNTech data from October, with each "package" of data reviewed as soon as it became available. This allowed regulators to examine the data in detail before a final authorization application was submitted.

According to the MHRA, a rolling review "can be used to complete the assessment of a promising medicine or vaccine during a public health emergency in the shortest time possible."

This approach helped accelerate the authorization process and a formal review of all the necessary information began in the UK on Nov. 23, leading to last week's approval announcement.

"I think the advantage is that the MHRA has been undertaking a rolling review, which means that as Pfizer accumulated data on how they manufactured the vaccine ... MHRA could keep pace with that," David Salisbury, associate fellow in Chatham House's Global Health Programme, told CNN. "That has allowed the MHRA to be nimble and keep pace."

9:49 a.m. ET, December 8, 2020

Key pandemic relief programs are set to expire in just weeks. Here's where stimulus negotiations stand.

From CNN's Lauren Fox

The American flag flies half mast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on December 7.
The American flag flies half mast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on December 7. Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell summed it up on Monday: "We are down to the wire."

If there is going to be a stimulus deal, if millions of Americans who depend on expanded unemployment benefits are going to continue getting that help, Congress has to come to an agreement and soon.

Here's a look at where stimulus negotiations stand:

The sticking point: The issue for the bipartisan group is liability insurance. That's why you didn't see them unveil legislative text Monday, and it is why the group talked again into the night for several hours. For months, including liability protection was standing in the way of the talks between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and it is still standing in the way of benefits for millions of Americans.

This is the item that Republicans are insisting on, not unlike how Democrats have been pushing for months to ensure state and local governments get another round of funding. Democrats know they don't get state and local funding without finding a path forward on liability and Republicans know they don't get liability without something for state and local.

Aides say the meeting Monday night was productive and it served as an opportunity for members to vent and lay out each party's side of the liability issue. But there still isn't a resolution.

Areas of potential compromise: It's possible that if senators can't find an agreement, the bipartisan group could decide to take out state and local and liability and move forward without them. Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah told CNN that Monday night. McConnell on the floor Monday told Democrats that Congress does "not need to resolve every one of our differences to get badly needed relief out the door."

The big question is, could you actually get enough Democrats to vote for a package that did not include state and local funding? Most members I've asked about this have said they can't agree to anything without it.

Where most lawmakers do agree:

  • Funding for vaccine distribution
  • Another round of Paycheck Protection Program loans for small businesses
  • Funding for schools
  • Continuation of long-term unemployment benefits so individuals can get the benefits for 39 weeks instead of just 26
  • Extending the eviction moratorium

What could come next: Now that there is an extra week on the congressional calendar, some of the pressure might be off the bipartisan group to come up with a deal so quickly.

The reality is that the momentum visible last week was a direct result of pressure folks were feeling with the Dec. 11 spending deadline. This stimulus package was always going to be attached to the long-term spending deal and with that deadline kicked off until Dec. 18, there is more time.

More time can be good in that it gives negotiators room to find a middle ground and in this case it gives a group of lawmakers who are operating without committees, time to write a bill. But, it can also backfire. Congress operates best and most efficiently when its back is against the wall. More time means that these talks can drag out, giving people more time to nitpick and change their minds.

Read more here.

9:28 a.m. ET, December 8, 2020

This is a big week for vaccines in the UK and US. Here's what you need to know.

Empty vials of the Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine are pictured at a health facility in Cardiff, Wales, on December 8 after being loaded into syringes in preparation for vaccinating frontline workers during the first day of the UK's vaccine rollout.
Empty vials of the Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine are pictured at a health facility in Cardiff, Wales, on December 8 after being loaded into syringes in preparation for vaccinating frontline workers during the first day of the UK's vaccine rollout. Sarah Tilotta/CNN

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage in many parts of the world, the UK and the US are taking important steps this week in their vaccination efforts.

If you're just reading in now, here's where things stand:

  • First vaccines given in the UK: The United Kingdom began administering the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine outside clinical trials today, launching a sprawling public health campaign to vaccinate tens of millions of people in just a matter of months. Margaret "Maggie" Keenan, who turns 91 next week, became the first person in the world to receive an authorized, fully-vetted coronavirus vaccine.
  • US FDA advisers meet this week: The US Food and Drug Administration's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday to discuss Pfizer's application for emergency use authorization for its coronavirus vaccine candidate. A similar meeting is scheduled next week for Moderna's vaccine candidate. FDA officials say their decisions on the vaccines could come days to weeks after the meetings — it depends on what questions come up.
  • Data on the vaccine candidate: Ahead of the meeting later this week, the FDA released data confirming Pfizer's vaccine efficacy against Covid-19. The document goes on to detail the safety profile of the vaccine as "favorable" and notes that the most common adverse reactions to the vaccine have been reactions at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain and fever.
8:54 a.m. ET, December 8, 2020

FDA confirms safety data and efficacy of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine ahead of Thursday meeting

From CNN's Jacqueline Howard

A patient receives the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as the UK vaccination rollout gets underway at a health center in Cardiff, Wales, on Tuesday, December 8.
A patient receives the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as the UK vaccination rollout gets underway at a health center in Cardiff, Wales, on Tuesday, December 8. Sarah Tilotta/CNN

An advisory committee to the US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday released a briefing document detailing data on Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine candidate, which will be considered this week for emergency use authorization in the United States.

The document confirms that the vaccine's efficacy against Covid-19 was 95%, occurring at least seven days after the second dose – an efficacy that had been previously reported by Pfizer. The proposed dosing regimen for the vaccine is to administer two 30-microgram doses 21 days apart.

However, the document also notes that the vaccine, called BNT162b2, appears to provide "some protection" against Covid-19 following just one dose.

The document describes the efficacy of Pfizer's vaccine in the time between the first and second dose as 52.4%, but the document notes that "the efficacy observed after Dose 1 and before Dose 2, from a post-hoc analysis, cannot support a conclusion on the efficacy of a single dose of the vaccine, because the time of observation is limited by the fact that most of the participants received a second dose after three weeks."

In other words, "the trial did not have a single-dose arm to make an adequate comparison."

The document goes on to detail the safety profile of the vaccine as "favorable" and notes that the most common adverse reactions to the vaccine have been reactions at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain and fever.

Severe adverse reactions occurred in less than 4.6% of participants, were more frequent after the second dose and were generally less frequent in older adults as compared to younger participants, according to the document. The document adds that swollen lymph nodes also may be related to vaccination.

Overall, "there are currently insufficient data to make conclusions about the safety of the vaccine in subpopulations such as children less than 16 years of age, pregnant and lactating individuals, and immunocompromised individuals," according to the document.

A total of six participants died during the trials, and "all deaths represent events that occur in the general population of the age groups where they occurred, at a similar rate."

The document will be discussed in a meeting on Thursday, where the FDA's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will provide recommendations to the FDA on whether the vaccine is effective in preventing Covid-19 in people 16 and older and whether the potential benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

"The committee will also discuss what additional studies should be conducted by the vaccine manufacturer following issuance of the EUA to gather further data on the safety and effectiveness of this vaccine," according to the document.

8:50 a.m. ET, December 8, 2020

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will get vaccinated but likely not on camera, British official says

From CNN's Andrea Diaz

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attend a luncheon at Windsor Castle on May 7, 2019 in Windsor, England.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attend a luncheon at Windsor Castle on May 7, 2019 in Windsor, England. Jonathan Brady/WPA Pool/Getty Images

When asked by NBC's Savannah Guthrie if Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip would receive a Covid-19 vaccine on camera, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that's not likely, but they will get vaccinated following the phased approach.

"I'm not sure they will do it on camera, but I'm sure arrangements will be made according to the phased approach that I set out, and like any family, you know, they will have felt the pressures and all the worries that surround this pandemic as well," said Raab, who is also one of the leaders of the United Kingdom’s vaccine distribution program.

Due to their ages, Queen Elizabeth, 94, joins her husband Prince Phillip, 99, in being among the most vulnerable groups first in line for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine as it rolled out today in the UK.

Last week, CNN reported that former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are volunteering to get their Covid-19 vaccines on camera to promote public confidence in the vaccine's safety once the US Food and Drug Administration authorizes one.

8:39 a.m. ET, December 8, 2020

White House vaccine czar: "We will be getting vaccine to the people who need them as soon as possible"

From CNN's Naomi Thomas

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House on Friday, November 13 in Washington, DC.
Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House on Friday, November 13 in Washington, DC. Evan Vucci/AP

“We are comfortable we will be getting vaccines to the people who need them as soon as possible,” Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser of Operation Warp Speed, told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos when asked whether there is anything that the government or operation could do to help supply chain issues.

Slaoui said this was because “there are vaccine doses from Moderna, there are vaccine doses from Pfizer,” adding that they will work with Pfizer to try to increase their capacity.

Slaoui's comments come after The New York Times on Monday first reported that the Trump administration turned down an offer from Pfizer to buy more doses of its Covid-19 vaccine in the late summer.

Slaoui today said that summer was not the time to buy more vaccine doses – and that the right time to do that is when it becomes clear how well the vaccines perform.  

“Let me remind everybody what our strategy is and has always been,” Slaoui told ABC this morning. “We selected six different vaccines to build the portfolio, to manage the risk that some may work and some may not work, but also to ensure that as more than one would work that we would accumulate vaccine doses from this portfolio of vaccines.” 

Slaoui said that during the summer, “If somebody came to us and said, ‘Let’s buy more of this vaccine or that vaccine,’ no one reasonably would buy more from any one of those vaccines because we didn’t know which one would work and which one may be better than the other.”

He said that – given the strategy they have taken – once the vaccine’s performance was known would be the right time to order more doses, “which we may be doing.”

“And frankly, the constructive thing to do, if one of the suppliers has challenges producing enough vaccine doses, is to roll (up) our sleeves and help ensure that capacity can be increased and have more vaccine doses,” Slaoui said.

He also said that there were two more vaccines from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson completing Phase 3 trials in January, “and most likely, I hope,” be available for use in February. 

“We have tens of millions of doses of those vaccines, you know, participating, to the volume of vaccines we need to immunize the US population as we promised, all of it by the middle of the year 2021 – and that’s still on track,” Slaoui said.

8:15 a.m. ET, December 8, 2020

India's authorization for Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could be approved within weeks

From CNN's Manveena Suri in New Delhi

A researcher works on the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University in a laboratory at the Jenner Institute in Oxford, England.
A researcher works on the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University in a laboratory at the Jenner Institute in Oxford, England. John Cairns/University of Oxford/AP

The Serum Institute of India (SII) has sought emergency use approval from regulators for a domestically produced "Covishield" shot using the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

India's Health Ministry said on Tuesday that "some of the vaccine candidates may get licensed in the next few weeks."

"The Prime Minister has interacted with all vaccine manufacturers and scientists. There are vaccine candidates in the clinical trial stage in India,” Rajesh Bhushan, a senior health ministry official said.

The SII, based in the western city of Pune, applied for emergency authorization on Monday, and has a deal in place with AstraZeneca to produce and distribute its vaccine domestically.

“Once we get a green signal from our scientists, we'll launch a massive production of the vaccine. We've made all the preparations and drawn an outline to ramp up production of vaccine and to make it available to each and every person in shortest possible time,” Bhushan added.

On Monday, SII CEO Adar Poonawala tweeted: "As promised, before the end of 2020, @SerumInstIndia has applied for emergency use authorization for the first made-in-India vaccine, COVISHIELD. This will save countless lives."