December 16 coronavirus news

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."

Watch more:

Costa Rica has authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine against Covid-19 after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the vaccine emergency use authorization on Friday, according to a statement released by Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday.

Through social media, Costa Rica's president, Carlos Alvarado, said the agreement with the company guarantees coverage for 1.5 million people.

In October, Costa Rica announced an agreement with Pfizer/BionNtech for the purchase of 3,000,000 doses.

Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health announced that vaccinations in the country could start during the first quarter of 2021, without mentioning an exact date, according to the same statement.

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.

But first they need to unveil the details, sell it 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.

It won't be an easy task. But top Democrats and Republicans expressed confidence Tuesday evening after the big four leaders met for the first time in months, emerging to say that a deal is finally in sight. But they refused to share any details.

Here's how the legislative process could play out:

Read more about the stimulus negotiations here.

The World Health Organization's European office has warned that "there is a high risk of further resurgence" of Covid-19 across Europe early next year.

"Despite some fragile progress, COVID-19 transmission across the European Region remains widespread and intense," the announcement notes. "There is a high risk of further resurgence in the first weeks and months of 2021, and we will need to work together if we are to succeed in preventing it." 

The announcement urges people to take precautions during the winter holidays to minimize the risk of Covid-19, such as by postponing or reducing gatherings, keeping gatherings outdoors if possible, wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing and avoiding any transportation that might be crowded.

The announcement says: "During the upcoming holidays, WHO recommends that countries carefully consider adapting the setup of seasonal activities to remove the possibility of crowding, especially in confined or closed settings, including during travel."

Tom Cruise, lead actor of the upcoming film "Mission: Impossible 7," was heard reprimanding crew members for reportedly not adhering to social distancing measures, the UK's Sun reported, citing an exclusive audio tape from the set.

The rant comes after two crew members reportedly were standing within two meters (about six feet) of one another while on set for the film, the British tabloid reported.

Paramount Pictures is producing the film. It is currently being shot at Warner Bros. Studio in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, outside of London, where the recording was allegedly made. Warner Bros., like CNN, is owned by WarnerMedia.

"Mission: Impossible 7" had previously faced delays from the Covid-19 pandemic. In February, a three-week shoot was set to take place in Venice, Italy, but the country had a surge of coronavirus cases, putting the production on hold. British media reported that 12 members tested positive for Covid-19 on set in Italy in October.

British media also reported that Cruise has tried to ensure there are no more delays, even paying 500,000 British pounds ($676,000) out of his own pocket for a ship that cast and crew could isolate on during film production.

"Mission: Impossible 7" is currently being filmed in the UK and is set to release in November 2021.

CNN has contacted Cruise's publicist and Paramount Pictures for comment. The New York Times reports that Paramount declined its request for comment.

It’s been a week since the UK became the first country in the world to deploy Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine.

So far, a total of 137,897 people in the UK have been vaccinated, according to Nadhim Zahawi, who is overseeing the coronavirus vaccine rollout.

On Wednesday, Zahawi tweeted that the vaccine program had gotten off to a "really good start" and gave a breakdown of the numbers.

Here's those numbers.

Zahawi added that the number of vaccinated people would continue to rise as distribution in primary care networks takes effect.

But its possible that only around half of the population in England will be able to get vaccinated next year, according to a new report from the National Audit Office.

The report estimates that only 25 million people -- less than half of England's population of around 56 million -- could be vaccinated in 2021. That's if, and when, sufficient vaccines are available.

The UK government has signed five contracts for potential Covid-19 vaccines, including Pfizer/BioNTech's offering, which is currently being deployed.

The contracts will provide access to 267 million potential doses at an expected cost of £2.9 billion (US $3.9bn), according to a report released Wednesday by the National Audit Office.

They include:

The report also said an estimated 46,000 staff may be needed to support the deployment of the vaccines, noting the challenge of current staff shortages.

Saudi Arabia received the first shipment of the coronavirus Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine on Wednesday morning, with more than 100,000 people registered to receive the vaccine so far, Health Minister Tawfiq Al Rabiah told Saudi state TV.

The Kingdom’s Food and Drug Authority approved the registration of the Pfizer/BioNtech coronavirus vaccine last week in preparation for importing and distributing, state news agency SPA said.

Al Rabiah showed a vial of the vaccine on Saudi TV and said: "I am happy to bring the positive news to the citizens and residents [of Saudi Arabia] that the first batch of the coronavirus vaccine has arrived this morning."

Saudi Arabia opened registration for those willing to receive the vaccine on Tuesday, with the number of people signing up surpassing 100,000 so far, Al Rabiah said.

The vaccine will be administered for free and will be prioritized for those above the age of 65, those with chronic illnesses and frontline medical workers, he added.