This daily round-up brings you a selection of the latest news and updates on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as tips and tools to help you stay informed and protected.
Top stories: US vaccine advisory committee votes to approve Pfizer vaccine, Britain has vaccinated tens of thousands and Germany reports highest case number in a 24-hour period.
1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now passed 69.6 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 1.58 million.
Brazil will aim to vaccinate its entire population in 2021, according to Brazilian Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello.
Every secondary school student in certain boroughs of London and parts of the UK's South East will be tested as cases in the capital increase.
Australia has cancelled the production of a locally made vaccine against COVID-19 after trials showed it could interfere with HIV diagnosis.
Germany has reported 29,875 new cases and 598 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest recorded in a 24-hour period in the country since the pandemic began.
Dr Michael Osterholm, a member of US President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory board, has urged Americans to limit social interactions with other households over the Christmas period to help slow the spread of the virus. “There is not a safe Christmas party in this country right now,” he said.
UK health minister Matt Hancock has announced that tens of thousands of people in Britain have already been vaccinated with 73 hospitals across the country currently administering them.
35% of US women have said they were “not very” or “not at all” interested in getting a vaccine, according to recent Reuters/Ipsos survey data.
Singapore has approved Advanced MedTech Holdings’ COVID-19 kit for use in testing saliva from deep within the throat, as the country looks to ramp up testing.
2. US drug experts recommend Pfizer vaccine approval
The US Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory committee has voted to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for distribution.
The committee posed questions to experts from Pfizer about the efficacy of the vaccine.
The FDA is expected to authorize the vaccine in the next few days, following the committee's recommendations, which would be administered to healthcare workers and nursing home residents as a priority.
