Summary:

• More than 1 million ppl traveled through US airports Friday
• US cases top 12 million
• WH vaccine czar targets Dec. 11 for first shots
• US cases near records
• Portugal imposes travel freeze
• France outbreak slows
• Greece sees back-to-back days of record deaths

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As we reported last night, COVID-19 cases in the US surpassed 12 million, adding a million new cases in under a week, the fastest rate yet. Meanwhile, the pace of deaths has accelerated globally; on Friday, the world reported more than 11k new deaths in a single day, the highest daily number yet. In the US and Europe, deaths are finally creeping higher alongside hospitalizations as rising case numbers finally start to translate to more serious cases as well. 

California set a new record yesterday by reporting more than 15k cases in a single day, the highest daily tally for any state in the US.

 

With US cases at record highs, the CDC on Sunday elevated its travel warnings about traveling on cruise ships and venturing across state lines to see relatives. The agency raised its cruise ship travel warning level to ‘Level 4’ from ‘Level 3’, while Reuters reported that millions of Americans were set to flout the agency’s warnings about travel. More than 1 million people traveled through American airports on Friday, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration, fueling fears of even greater spread of the virus. It was the second-heaviest domestic air traffic day since the start of the pandemic.

“This is the 2nd time since the pandemic passenger volume has surpassed 1 million,” TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

On Sunday morning, White House vaccine czar Dr. Moncef Slaoui told CNN’s Jake Tapper that a coronavirus vaccine could be available by Dec. 11. The doctor also talked up the potential of the vaccine, saying data showing the vaccine to be “95% effective” surpassed expectations, and offers almost a “full insurance policy” against the virus.

In Europe, Portugal will freeze movement between towns between Nov. 28-Dec. 1 and Dec. 5-8, two periods that include weekends and national holidays on each following Tuesday. The number of daily new infections continues to be “worrying,” even if the pace of growth has decelerated, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said.

Here’s some more COVID-19 news from Sunday morning and overnight:

France’s virus cases rose by 17,881 to 2.13 million on Saturday, with the pace of new infections continuing the slowdown of the past two weeks. The seven-day average of new cases fell to 24,636 cases, the lowest in a month and less than half the pace two weeks ago (Source: Bloomberg).

New Jersey reported a record 4,679 new coronavirus cases, bringing its total to more than 300,000 since the start of the outbreak in March. The state has reported more than 60,000 cases this month amid a resurgence. Hospitalizations have more than doubled since Nov. 1, to 2,552 as of Nov. 20. New Jersey has 486 patients in intensive care, up from 212 on Nov. 1 (Source: Bloomberg).

Greece reported 108 more deaths, a second straight record increase, and intensive-care units in Greek hospitals are 82% occupied. Plans to begin a gradual lifting of nation-wide lockdown restrictions on Dec. 1 are no longer realistic, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Friday (Source: Bloomberg).