AstraZeneca submits full vaccine data to UK regulator
From CNN's Vasco Cotovio
AstraZeneca has summited the full data package for the vaccine it has developed with Oxford university to Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed during a news conference on Wednesday.
“I'm delighted to be able to tell you that the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine developed here in the UK has submitted its full data package to the MHRA for approval,” Hancock said. “This is the next step towards a decision on the deployment of the vaccine which is already being manufactured, including here in the UK.”
“Amid all this difficulty, the great hope for 2021 is of course the vaccine,” he also said.
11:59 a.m. ET, December 23, 2020
UK reports two cases of a second Covid-19 variant from South Africa, health secretary says
From CNN's Vasco Cotovio
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock speaks at a press conference in London on December 23. Kirsty Wigglesworth/WPA Pool/Getty Images
British Health authorities have detected two cases of yet another new variant of Covid-19, originally identified in South Africa, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Wednesday.
“This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK,” Hancock said. “Both are contacts of cases who have traveled from South Africa over the past few weeks."
The Health Secretary announced new restrictions for travelers arriving in the UK from South Africa and also told those who have been in contact with people arriving from South Africa, in the past 15 days, to go into quarantine immediately.
“These measures are temporary while we investigate further this new strain which is shortly to be analyzed at Porton Down,” he said.
10:45 a.m. ET, December 23, 2020
"Money is piling up against me:" An extended eviction ban might not be enough
From CNN’s Anna Bahney
Kelly Green said she has a roof over her head only because of the CDC eviction moratorium. Kelly Green
Millions of struggling renters will likely be protected from eviction — at least for another month.
The stimulus bill that was passed by Congress late Monday night would extend a national ban on evictions until Jan. 31. The package would also provide $25 billion in emergency rental assistance. But the relief bill still needs to be signed by President Trump.
But, should the package go through, neither of the measures will likely be enough to keep the most at-risk renters in their homes past January.
Struggling to stay afloat
Kelly Green, who lives in a $1,429-a-month apartment in Daytona Beach, Florida, has not been able to pay rent since September.
"The only reason I have a roof over my head is because of the eviction moratorium," Green said.
Green makes her living selling rhinestone- and sequined-biker apparel at motorcycle rallies and other festivals.
After the shutdown in March, there were no festivals, no events and she had no income. Still, she cobbled together her savings, stimulus payment, rent relief and unemployment insurance payments and managed to get current on her rent through July. But she didn't know how she'd make ends meet after the $600 a week supplemental unemployment support ended.
Green heard about a coronavirus-related rent relief fund offered by Volusia County, where she lives. She applied for assistance and was awarded $4,500 for three months' rent.
But there was a snag: The Volusia County rent assistance program requires tenants to have been current on rent as of March 13, 2020. Green was behind on her rent in February and, as a result, her apartment complex wouldn't accept the aid.
Without that money, Green was unable to pay full rent for October, November or December. And since she overstayed her lease in November, she's now on a month-to-month lease that is $500 more expensive a month.
"Even if the moratorium is extended, money is piling up against me," she said. "What would help me the most is if I receive a check for rental assistance for three months, that they take it."
What you need to know about getting a Covid-19 vaccine
From CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin
A health care worker at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Oregon receives a Covid-19 vaccination on December 16. Nathan Howard/Getty Images
The answer depends on each person's health, what they do for a living and where they live.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, Biden's nominee for surgeon general, said he believes it may take until late spring to finish vaccinating high-risk populations, if all goes according to plan. That means mid-summer may be a "realistic" timeline for the general public to begin vaccinations, he told NBC.
Here are key things to know:
Who is first in line?
Health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities are first in line, followed by adults ages 75 and older and frontline essential workers such as first responders.
The next phase will be adults between 65 and 75, those between 16 and 64 with high-risk medical conditions and "other essential workers," according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Who is an essential worker?
The ACIP defines frontline essential workers as anyone employed in "sectors essential to the functioning of society (who) are at substantially higher risk of exposure" to the coronavirus.
Besides first responders, that includes those working in education and child care, food and agriculture, manufacturing, corrections, the US Postal Service, public transit and grocery stores. There are roughly 30 million people in this category.
Who is making decisions at the state level?
It will ultimately fall on state governors to make calls on who gets the vaccinations and when, Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, said. However, most states have advisory committees or tasks forces in their health and preparedness agencies that will provide recommendations to governors.
While the ACIP issues guidelines of who gets the first doses, states are free to make their own decisions.
Age, pregnancy, allergies: Is the vaccine right for you?
10:01 a.m. ET, December 23, 2020
US Covid-19 hospitalizations reach a record high as people continue to travel for the holiday
From CNN's Haley Brink and Elise Hammond
A respiratory therapist cares for a Covid-19 patient in the intensive care unit at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center in California on December 21. Mario Tama/Getty Images
This comes as the Transportation Security Administration is reporting record-high pandemic travel and said that it screened more than 4 million air travelers between Friday and Monday.
If Americans disregard the dire situation and continue with holiday travel plans, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that it "could be a very difficult January."
Here's a look at where things stand right now in the US:
Vaccinations
So far, at least 4,624,325 doses of the vaccines have been delivered across the US. Of those, 614,117 vaccines have been administered according to the CDC.
Hospitalizations
The US reported a new record high number of at least 117,777 hospitalizations on Tuesday, according to CTP data. The US has remained above 100,000 current hospitalizations for 21 consecutive days.
The US is now averaging about 114,621 hospitalizations over the last 7 days, this is up 4.23% since last week.
New Cases
On Tuesday, the US reported at least 195,033 cases of Covid-19, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Right now the US averages about 214,896 Covid-19 cases per day, which is a 1% increase from last week.
So far, the month of December has seen the most reported cases than any other month of the pandemic, surpassing November.
Deaths
The US reported it second highest number of new deaths on Tuesday with at least 3,401. This is only the fifth time since the beginning of the pandemic that there has been more than 3,000 deaths in a single day.
The nation averages at least 2,715 reported deaths a day, according to JHU. This is the highest this metric has ever been.
Deaths continue to rise in 21 states compared to this time last week.
Here's a look at where cases are rising across the country:
9:46 a.m. ET, December 23, 2020
New York City reports first serious allergic reaction to Covid-19 vaccine
From CNN's Sheena Jones
The New York City Health Department is reporting the first serious adverse allergic reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine, according to a statement.
“We have received a single report of a serious adverse event in a health care worker. The health care worker, who had a significant allergic reaction, has been treated and is in stable condition,” according to the press release.
At this time it is unclear if this adverse reaction is a result of the Pfizer vaccine, but the health department says reactions like this are rare, but note they have been reported with the Pfizer vaccine.
Nearly 30,000 vaccinations have been administered in the city, according to the release and the city along with CDC will continue tracking more severe side effects.
“We will continue to move forward with the coronavirus vaccine distribution to ensure that health care workers and nursing home staff and residents are protected against COVID-19,” according to the release.
9:44 a.m. ET, December 23, 2020
Stocks open higher with hopes of new stimulus package
From CNN’s Anneken Tappe
US stocks rose modestly on Wednesday amid a mixed bag of economic and political news.
President Trump expressed his displeasure with the stimulus deal Congress painstakingly negotiated, upping the risk for more economic turmoil and a government shutdown.
Meanwhile, weekly jobless claims fell from the prior week. That said, nine months into the pandemic, first time claims for unemployment benefits are still nearly four times that of the same period last year.
On top of that, personal income fell 1.1% in November, more than economists had expected.
Here's where things stood at opening:
The Dow opened 0.6%, or 173 points, higher.
The S&P 500 rose 0.4%.
The Nasdaq Composite opened up 0.1%.
This is a shortened trading week ahead of the Christmas holiday, ending Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.
9:43 a.m. ET, December 23, 2020
Sweden extends ban on travel from the UK
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy
Sweden has extended its ban on travel from the United Kingdom to Sweden until Jan. 21 following the detection of a new variant of coronavirus in England, a spokesperson for the Swedish Minister for Justice and Migration told CNN Wednesday.
According to the Minister’s spokesperson, Swedish nationals living in the UK will be permitted to return to Sweden during this period, as well as British nationals living or working in the country.
Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde initially announced the travel restrictions in a tweet on Sunday, confirming that a temporary ban would be introduced in response to the outbreak.
Sweden has also imposed a ban on travel from Denmark to Sweden until Jan. 21 in order to "reduce the risk of congestion and the spread of the virus in shopping centers and restaurants in Skåne County," according to the press release.
People from Denmark living or working in Sweden may still enter the country, in addition to Swedes living or working in Denmark.
9:48 a.m. ET, December 23, 2020
NIH director says he's “feeling great” after receiving Covid-19 vaccine
From CNN's Naomi Thomas
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, receives his Covid-19 vaccine in Bethesda, Maryland, on December 22. Patrick Semansky/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told CNN’s Erica Hill that he was “feeling great” a day after receiving the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.
“I’m feeling great,” he said. “My arm is a little sore, just like you’d expect after a flu shot, but absolutely fine and delighted to be able to start down this path and I hope anybody watching that was inspired by watching Dr. Fauci get his injection. That we all, as scientists, believe this is safe and effective.”
“Come on Americans, roll up your sleeves,” Collins said.
Collins received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine Tuesday at an NIH event, alongside Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
