Pope, vaccines, closing Christmas in Italy, British travelers

USA TODAY tracks the news surrounding COVID-19 as a pair of vaccines join the US war against a virus that has killed more than 329,000 Americans since the first reported death in February. Keep updating this page for the latest updates on vaccine deployment, including who’s getting the vaccines and where, plus other COVID-19 news across the USA TODAY network. Subscribe to our site Watch Coronavirus Newsletter To get updates directly to your inbox, Join our Facebook group Or scroll through Our in-depth answers to readers’ questions For everything you need to know about Coronavirus.

In the titles:

Japan has confirmed its first five cases of the virus A new type of corona virus Identified in the UK. Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said that the five people arrived from Britain between December 18 and December 21 and had no symptoms, but that a man in his 60s became tired.

Pope Francis made a plea for Christmas Day, urging “vaccines for all, especially for the most vulnerable and needy,” who should be first. Francis made unofficial statements During his traditional blessing “Urbi et Orbi”.

Italy has entered a holiday lockdown until January 6, aiming to limit gatherings. Around the world, holiday celebrations have been curtailed or canceled altogether.

The influencing COVID-19 model at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation this week He warned that states are not imposing strong enough mandates for social distancingGiven how much the virus is currently spreading in the United States without taking action, daily deaths could reach 5,000 by mid-February, according to Projects Wednesday.

Republicans blocked Thursday’s bid Increase direct payments to Americans From $ 600 to $ 2000 in the latest stimulus package. Democrats said they would try to push the increase after President Donald Trump said this week he wanted to send in larger direct checks.

The Transportation Security Administration said that It has examined a record 1,191,123 individuals at airports Across the country on Wednesday. While the Wednesday total was still 38% down from the same weekday last year, which was Christmas Day, it was the fourth day during the height of the Christmas holidays as the number of travelers exceeded 1 million.

The federal government is close to delivering 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine during December, as promised, but states are taking longer than expected to deliver these doses into people’s arms. This is what those in charge of vaccinations say.

📈 Today’s numbers: The United States has more than 18.6 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and 329,000 deaths, According to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global totals: More than 79 million cases and 1.7 million deaths.

Here’s a closer look at today’s top news:

The United States is requiring a negative COVID-19 test for air travelers from the United Kingdom

The The United States will require air travelers traveling from the UK to present a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of departureLate Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.

The move comes at a time when a growing number of countries have banned British travelers amidst the rapid spread of A new type of Coronavirus in London and elsewhere.

Earlier this week, Canada and dozens of other provinces announced new restrictions on travelers in the UK after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the coronavirus variant could be 70% more transmissible and lead to a worryingly rapid spread of infection in London. And the surrounding areas.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said that while a preliminary analysis in the United Kingdom indicates that the new variant is “significantly more transmissible”, there is no indication that the infection is more severe. However, experts cautioned that even if the alternative was not more deadly, it was likely to lead to increased infections, hospitalizations and virus-related deaths.

The order, which President Donald Trump is expected to sign on Friday, will take effect on December 28, according to the CDC.

How will you be notified when it is your turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine? It is complicated.

As COVID-19 vaccines are spreading to limited groups of people across the United States, How people learn that they qualify for their shots will not be clear Supplies remain limited, according to public health experts, government policies and vaccination plans.

The launch of the vaccine has largely been left to the states, and people may not know when they will be eligible to receive their vaccine. And they may have to be proactive in finding where they can get and proving that they meet the criteria to be next in line.

“I think it’s going to be a bit mysterious,” said Katie Green, visiting visitor for politics at the Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if thousands of people were excluded because of the information gap,” said Tinglong Dai, a professor at Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business who studies operations management and business analytics in the healthcare field.

Studies have found that antibodies to COVID-19 may protect against the virus for up to six months or more

Evidence from two new studies suggests that the antibodies generated by COVID-19 infection may provide protection against future infection.

Researchers at the US National Cancer Institute found that people who had antibodies from a normal infection were less likely to test positive again for up to six months and possibly longer, according to One of the studies was published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research looked at 12,500 health workers at Oxford University Hospitals in the United Kingdom

The second study is still subject to peer review, Comprising more than 3 million people who underwent antibody tests from private laboratories in the United States. Only 0.03% of those who had antibodies initially tested positive for coronavirus, compared to 3% of those who lacked such antibodies.

Joshua Wolf, an infectious disease specialist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, said the results were “not surprising”. “But it’s really reassuring because it tells people that immunity to the virus is common.”

Adriana Rodriguez

40 million Americans could be left homeless by the end of the federal eviction moratorium in January

Millions of Americans On the verge of evacuation as the federal eviction moratorium expires at the end of JanuaryUnleashing what advocates are saying could be a housing disaster of historic proportions: without federal intervention, they fear that as many as 40 million people could be displaced amid an ongoing and still worse pandemic.

“We are facing the worst potential housing and homelessness crisis in the history of our country,” said Diane Wentle, executive director and chair of the National Low-Income Housing Alliance in Washington, DC.

The CDC’s moratorium on evictions was originally set to expire on December 3, and Congress is expected to extend it through January as part of a $ 900 billion relief package from COVID-19 that also includes $ 25 billion in emergency rental assistance.

But critics say the vague wording of the order has led to inconsistent implementation and allowed determined landlords to find loopholes. Moreover, tenants are often not aware of the matter, and without legal representation, many are not equipped to follow in court. Read more here.

Mark Ramirez, Sarah Tadeo and Tiffany Cossack Smith

Contribution: The Associated Press