December 16 coronavirus news

The chief scientific advisor for Operation Warp Speed says 20 million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine will be delivered by the end of the month.

"I think that's really excellent," Moncef Slaoui said at a news briefing on Wednesday.

Remember: The Moderna vaccine has not been approved by for emergency use yet, but an advisory committee to the US Food and Drug Administration released a document confirming the vaccine's efficacy on Tuesday.

The FDA's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will review that document and discuss issuing an emergency use authorization on Thursday.

Slaoui added that the US government is continuing to effort additional doses from Pfizer. 

“We are working very closely with the company to ensure that we can support and help them address all the challenges in continuing to increase their capacity and output and also at the same time discussing how we may come to an agreement on the first option for an additional 100 million doses,” he said.

A large majority of Americans, 71%, say they will "definitely or probably" get a Covid-19 vaccine, according to a survey out Tuesday from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

But Black Americans, people living in rural areas and Republicans are more hesitant about getting the shots.

Only 11% of African Americans and 16% of Latinos were "very confident" that the process was taking their needs into account, according to the survey.

We want to hear your thoughts on Covid-19 vaccines.

Do you have specific questions or concerns? Type them in the box below and we may feature some in a special CNN Town Hall.

Dr. Anthony Fauci and Surgeon General Jerome Adams will join Don Lemon and CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta for "The Color of Covid – The Vaccines" Friday at 10 p.m. ET on CNN.

NYC Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi said following the vaccination of more than 1,600 health care workers, his department has so far not heard "of any serious adverse events, that means very serious side effects, in the city thus far."

The side effects experienced so far are those seen in the study of the vaccine, particularly some pain at the injection site, some fatigue, some muscle aches, which generally only last 23-48 hours and are considered mild.

The city plans to publish a dashboard showing how many individuals are being vaccinated daily, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

All the public NYC health and hospitals received the vaccine yesterday, the CEO Mitch Katz said. More are expected next week. 

Right now they are focusing on people in the highest risk areas, emergency rooms, intensive care units and those over 60 years old, Katz said. 

Katz added “from looking at the numbers I believe we’re going to vaccinate the whole hospital in 3 weeks. Everyone in every single unit, just starting at the highest risk units.”

The officials were speaking at the Elmhurst location, which was one of the hardest hit hospitals at the epicenter of the pandemic.

Earlier, the mayor observed the first vaccinations at the public hospital.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Hill leaders have “made major headway toward hammering out a targeted pandemic relief package that would be able to pass both chambers with bipartisan majorities,” and have “committed to continuing these urgent discussions until we have an agreement.” 

McConnell did not announce any specifics on what will be in the deal, but did offer a preview of what’s likely to be included.

“We need vaccine distribution money, we need to re-up the Paycheck Protection Program to save jobs, we need to continue to provide for laid off Americans. Congressional leaders on both sides are going to continue working until we get this done," he said.

CNN's Manu Raju reported earlier that the deal is expected to be around $900 billion dollars and include a new round of stimulus checks. You can read more on the expected deal here. 

Gen. Gustave F. Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, said the team is "on track" with the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines in the United States.

Perna said the volume of deliveries was 145 on Monday, 425 Tuesday and 66 today.

On Thursday, deliveries to additional 886 locations are expected, he said.

"It is about a steady drum-beat cadence of delivery of vaccine out to the American people."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is quarantining after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus, but he himself "has been tested and is negative," the State Department announced Wednesday.

"The Secretary has been tested and is negative. In accordance with CDC guidelines, he will be in quarantine," they said. "He is being closely monitored by the Department's medical team."

Pompeo's Wednesday schedule listed him as having no public appointments. President Trump is scheduled to hold a Cabinet meeting Wednesday morning. 

It is unclear when or where the top US diplomat came into contact with the individual who tested positive. CNN has reached out to the State Department for further details.

US stocks started Wednesday mostly lower after a weak retail sales report that underscored the need for another round of federal Covid relief. 

Here's where things opened:

The weaker open comes after a government report showed that US retail sales tumbled in November by more than economists had feared. 

The bleak holiday shopping report adds to evidence that the recovery is losing momentum as the pandemic intensifies. After months of failure, Congressional leaders appear to finally be closing in on an agreement for a Covid-19 relief package.

The Federal Reserve is scheduled to issue a new policy statement and updated economic projections at 2 pm. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has forcefully called for lawmakers to provide more fiscal stimulus.

Congressional leaders, after months of a bitter stalemate and as millions of Americans have been eager for relief, are finally indicating they're nearing a deal on a new rescue package that could pass both chambers within days.

The deal is expected to include a new round of stimulus checks, but no money for state and local aid, a priority Democrats had pushed for, and no lawsuit protections, which Republicans wanted, according to a source briefed on the talks.

The source cautioned that nothing is final until it is unveiled, but that's where this is headed at the moment.

Once details are unveiled, Hill leaders will have to sell the plan to their caucuses and try to ram it through Congress quickly — all with the threat of a shutdown looming at the end of the week.

The price tag for a stimulus deal could be close to $900 billion, a source familiar tells CNN, though more details could be out later Wednesday morning.

While Hill leaders would not confirm what they have agreed to, both sides are likely to have made some significant concessions, including potentially dropping demands for money for state and city governments — a priority Democrats have been pushing —and a liability shield that the GOP had been seeking.

A $748 billion bipartisan proposal released this week could serve as a ready-made starting point for what might be included. That package proposes:

Read more about the stimulus negotiations here.

Although the US has began rolling out the coronavirus vaccine, Americans still need to wear masks and take other safety measures, White House coronavirus testing czar Admiral Brett Giroir said Wednesday.

While urging people to observe these safety measures and listed to public health messages, he emphasized that the US is "still at a dangerous and critical part of this pandemic and tens of thousands of American lives are at stake."

The current vaccine rollout will create an impact on the number of new Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the US. This will be seen "almost immediately," Giroir said, but cautioned that widespread immunity through vaccination will not come until the late spring or early summer.

Meanwhile, the White House testing czar is hoping to increase testing availability in the country.

"You're going to hear more good news from the FDA very soon about other home tests that are not exactly the over-the-counter type, but are in the same ballpark," he said. "You'll see more and more tests get authorized, and them ramping up very soon, in the early part of the year."

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