LONDON — One of the scientists behind the experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer says he’s confident that it could halve the transmission of the virus, resulting in a “dramatic” curb of the virus’ spread.

The chief executive of Germany’s BioNTech said Sunday that it is “absolutely essential” to have a high vaccination rate before next autumn to ensure a return to normal life next winter. He says if everything continues to go well, deliveries of the vaccine will start late this year or early next year.

He says he’s confident that transmission between people will be reduced by perhaps 50% through a highly effective vaccine.

Pfizer and BioNTech said last week that interim results showed the vaccine was 90% effective.

U.S. cases hit 11 million; latest million took 6 days

BALTIMORE — More than 11 million cases of the coronavirus have now been reported in the United States, with the most recent million coming in less than a week.

Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker reached 11 million on Sunday. It had topped 10 million cases on Nov. 9.

It took 300 days for the U.S. to hit the 11 million mark since the first case was diagnosed in Washington state on Jan. 20.

COVID-19 is spreading more rapidly across the U.S. than it has at any time since the pandemic started. Deaths are also on the rise, though not at the record high numbers reached in the spring. The seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths was more than 1,080 as of Saturday, more than 30% higher than it was two weeks earlier.

COVID-19 has now killed more than 246,000 people in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins.

Worldwide, more than 54 million coronavirus cases have been reported with more than 1.3 million deaths. The U.S. has about 4% of the world’s population, but about a fifth of all reported cases.

Read the story here.

Washington implements new coronavirus restrictions

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has announced new restrictions on businesses and social gatherings for the next four weeks as part of the state’s efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, a host of businesses must close their indoor services, including fitness facilities and gyms, bowling centers, and movie theaters.

Retail stores, including grocery stores, must limit indoor capacity to 25%. Indoor social gatherings with people from more than one household are also prohibited unless attendees have either quarantined for 14 days before the gathering or tested negative for COVID-19 and have quarantined for seven days.

By Wednesday, restaurants and bars will be limited to outdoor dining and to-go service.

Joe Biden’s science advisors to meet soon with vaccine makers

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden’s scientific advisers will meet with vaccine makers in coming days as the presidential transition remains stalled because of President Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge that he lost the election.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, says the delayed handoff is especially problematic during a public health crisis.

Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been through multiple presidential transitions during 36 years of government service. He likens the process to runners passing on the baton in a relay race, saying, “You don’t want to stop and then give it to somebody. You want to just essentially keep going.”

The president-elect’s outreach to the vaccine manufacturers comes as the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. has entered perhaps its most dangerous phase. The seven-day rolling average for new daily cases stood at 145,400 on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That means the U.S. is adding about 1 million new cases a week, and deaths averaged 820 a day as of Saturday, a 33% increase in just two weeks.

Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, says the consultations with pharmaceutical companies will begin this week.

North Dakota nurses are worried about working with infected but asymptomatic colleagues

BISMARCK, N.D. — With coronavirus cases soaring in North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum moved to allow the state’s beleaguered hospitals to use infected but asymptomatic doctors and nurse to treat COVID-19 patients.

Although hospitals pushed for the right, many nurses say it will make their lives even harder than they’ve been during the pandemic.

Adam Johnston, an emergency room nurse in Fargo, says it will be impossible to not wonder if other nurses in the break room or cafeteria might be infected.

And nurses also questioned why the Republican governor would make such a move when for months he resisted more common steps such as statewide orders requiring masks or limiting the size of gatherings.

Experts say other states are weighing moves similar to Burgum’s.

COVID-19 deaths in U.S. could double over winter, virus expert warns

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — You should be nervous about this upcoming winter, with COVID-19 surging across the U.S., says Ralph Baric, a UNC professor who is one of the world’s preeminent researchers of coronaviruses.

Things are likely to get much worse before they get better.

“We are looking at five months of extensive and rapid virus spread,” Baric said in a phone interview with The News & Observer. “The good news is there is a light at the end of tunnel.”

That light appears to be a new vaccine by Pfizer, which delivered promising results on its experimental vaccine this month. A number of other vaccines are being tested as well.

But they won’t be ready for weeks or months and the weather is quickly getting colder, sending more Americans indoors to places where the virus may spread rapidly.

“I think it is important (to note) that before vaccines become widely delivered,” Baric said, “that we are looking at about 250,000 more deaths in the U.S., despite the development of new drugs. That is probably going to still occur because of the massive increases in cases.”

Read the story here.

Poll workers test positive for virus; Election Day link unclear

Despite painstaking efforts to keep election sites safe, some poll workers who came in contact with voters on Election Day have tested positive for the coronavirus, including more than two dozen in Missouri and cases in New York, Iowa, Indiana and Virginia.

The infections cannot be tied definitively to polling places. Because COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the U.S., there is no way to determine yet whether in-person voting on Election Day contributed to the surge, public health experts said.

Still, the infections among poll workers raise concerns because of how many people passed through voting sites, which implemented social-distancing rules, erected protective barriers and stocked sanitizer, masks, gloves and other safety gear. In most places, poll workers were required to wear masks. Read the story here.

Rally against lockdown leads to arrests in Cyprus

NICOSIA, Cyprus — A Cyprus court has ordered nine people detained for three days on suspicion of smashing store fronts and hurling stones and Molotov cocktails at police following a rally against a regional lockdown in the coastal town of Limassol.

Police said Sunday that they have also arrested the 31 year-old organizer of the rally on suspicion of inciting others to commit a criminal offense.

The violence took place after around 1,000 people gathered late Saturday in Limassol to protest a strict, 19-day lockdown that bans all non-essential movement of people, shut bars and restaurants and imposes a 8 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew.

Police said the protest was peaceful, but some people began vandalizing nearby stores and attacking police.

Some 23 people were arrested, of which nine — aged 16 to 27 — were detained. They face rioting, vandalism and conspiracy charges. Three others were charged with attacking and obstructing police and were released. Police said all identified demonstrators who violated mask-wearing and social distancing rules will be fined 300 euros ($355).

Health officials say infections in the country’s two southwestern districts jumped from 28% to 70% of the national average in the last six weeks.

Washington governor may announces new restrictions

SEATTLE — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has scheduled a news conference for Sunday morning as COVID-19 case numbers soar throughout the Pacific Northwest where he will reportedly detail new restrictions.

Inslee’s office said he would discuss actions to combat the crisis but offered no details. The Seattle Times reports that among Inslee’s announcements will be a ban on indoor service at restaurants and bars and significantly reduced capacity at grocery stores and retail shops.

The newspaper cited industry officials briefed by Inslee’s staff. The Democratic governor will also prohibit all indoor social gatherings. And Inslee will reportedly limit grocery stores and retailers to 25% occupancy.

Nevada reports daily record for 2nd day in row

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada has reported a record number of new confirmed cases of the coronavirus for the second day in a row amid warnings from Gov. Steve Sisolak that the state is at a “critical juncture.”

Sisolak implored residents to stay home and do what they can to protect themselves a day after he announced he had tested positive for COVID-19. Sisolak told reporters on Friday that he wasn’t feeling any symptoms and would enter a quarantine.

Nevada reported 2,269 new cases and 15 additional deaths on Saturday, topping the record of 1,857 new cases set Friday.

Sisolak warned Nevadans earlier in the week that if the state fails to slow the spread of the virus within two weeks, he will be forced to reimplement stricter measures.

Both of Connecticut’s senators self-isolating

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut’s two U.S. senators were self-isolating Saturday after a member of Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont’s staff tested positive for COVID-19.

Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy each tweeted Saturday that they had not had close contact with the staffer but were taking the step out of an abundance of caution.

Lamont’s chief spokesperson, Max Reiss, identified himself as the senior staff member who had tested positive in a release posted to Twitter on Friday. Reiss wrote he wasn’t sure how or where he had contracted the virus.

Murphy tweeted Saturday that he had “attended an event yesterday with the Governor but was not in close contact with the staff member who tested positive. Out of an abundance of caution, though, I am isolating until I get tested and consult with the Office of Attending Physician Monday morning.”

Blumenthal tweeted Saturday afternoon that he had “just returned from being tested myself and am currently self-isolating.”

NYC mayor cautions parents to prepare for potential shutdown

NEW YORK — Students, parents and teachers are continuing to anxiously watch New York City’s coronavirus test results. The latest figures Saturday fell under the city’s threshold for shutting down school buildings, but the mayor warned that the city was at a “crucial” point in fighting the virus’ resurgence.

Mayor Bill de Blasio cautioned parents and teachers Friday to plan for a potential school shutdown as soon as Monday, saying the city could cross its deciding line — 3% of coronavirus tests citywide coming back positive over a seven-day period — over the weekend.

The rate stayed short of that on Saturday, at 2.47%, he said.

“But that could change,” the Democratic mayor tweeted, warning that the city was facing “a critical weekend” in combating the pandemic.

New York City has the United States’ largest public school system, with more than 1 million students. It became one of few big cities to reopen classrooms this fall after the pandemic forced schools online in the spring, though families had the option of continuing all-remote learning this fall.

About 280,000 students have attended in person, far fewer than the city originally expected.

Greece reaches 1,000 deaths from coronavirus

ATHENS, Greece — Deaths from the coronavirus have topped 1,000 in Greece, and authorities say that over half occurred since Oct. 18.

The Greek government has decided to shut down elementary schools, kindergartens and day care centers for two weeks starting Monday. Children will be schooled at home, as is already happening with high school and university students.

Authorities have stepped up controls and enforcement of a 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. curfew, including by making arrests.

Two foreign exchange students who hosted an after-hours party at their apartment in the northern city of Thessaloniki were arrested at 10.30 p.m. Friday and fined 3,000 euros ($3,550) each on the spot. The 24-year-old Palestinian man and 21-year-old woman from France received suspended prison sentences of 2 years and two months on Saturday.

Their 15 party guests, all university students from western Europe, were fined 300 euros ($355) each but not arrested.

Greece reported 2,835 new confirmed virus along with 38 deaths on Saturday. The country has reported 72,510 cases and 1,035 since the start of the pandemic.

Arizona records more than 3,000 new cases

PHOENIX —The coronavirus outbreak continues to surge in Arizona, with the U.S. state on Saturday reporting over 3,000 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases for the third day in a week and the highest single-day spike since July.

The state reported 3,476 additional cases and 45 deaths. The state’s totals rose to 273,063 cases and 6,300 deaths.

As of Friday, 1,470 people were hospitalized with the virus, the most since early August, but still far below the levels reached when Arizona was a national hotspot last summer.

The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care beds reached 362 on Friday, the most since late August.

Coronavirus spread slows in Italy

MILAN — The spread of the coronavirus in Italy is slowing, according to national health officials. They said Saturday that the data might be an early sign that restrictions first adopted a month ago are starting to work.

Italian authorities reported that the national reproduction rate for the virus dropped to 1.4% from 1.7% a week ago, although some regions have rates over 2%. The number of new infections starts to drop when the infection rate drops below 1%.

Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said the lower transmission rate is not enough to show that the country has turned a corner. He cited the increased number of hospitalizations. Authorities said Saturday that nearly 500 more COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals since a day earlier, while 76 more patients entered intensive care.

Italy added 37,255 new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Saturday, a slight drop from recent days that is consistent with weekend trends since fewer tests are performed. The country’s death toll rose by 544, for a pandemic total of 44,683.

The regions containing the cities of Naples in the south and Florence in central Italy go on partial lockdown Sunday, a sign of the still perilous situation.

Ukraine implements new restrictions

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine has introduced tight weekend restrictions as the number of new confirmed coronavirus cases hit a national record.

Through the end of the month, only grocery stores, pharmacies and public transportation are allowed to operate on Saturdays and Sundays.

Health Minister Maxim Stepanov said Saturday that Ukraine registered 12,524 new confirmed cases, about 800 more than the previous day. The rapid rise in cases has severely strained Ukraine’s struggling medical system.

Stepanov said: “The virus is spreading at the speed of a hurricane.

The country’s total number of confirmed cases in the pandemic is more than 525,000, with 9,508 deaths.

U.S. hits new high, more than 180,000 new cases

BALTIMORE — The number of people testing positive for the coronavirus has soared to a new daily high in the United States.

Data from Johns Hopkins University indicates the number of confirmed cases reached 184,514 on Friday, as the number of people infected continues to surge.

The Johns Hopkins data shows the seven-day rolling average for virus-related deaths reported daily in the U.S. rose over the past two weeks from about 828 on Oct. 30 to 1,047 on Friday, an increase of about 26%

The seven-day rolling positivity rate also rose over the past two weeks from 6.4 to 9.6, an increase of about 50%, even as the number of tests performed has grown.

Poland hits record number of deaths

WARSAW – Poland has reported 548 more COVID-19-related deaths, a record number since the start of the pandemic.

The country also reported more than 25,570 new confirmed cases infection cases on Saturday. Most were in the southern industrial region of Silesia, in western province of Poznan and in Warsaw province.

The daily figures bring Poland’s totals to more than 691,100 confirmed cases and 10,045 deaths. Virus expert Wlodzimierz Gut said the growth in the death toll probably reflects last week’s peak in new infections. He says the spread of the virus appears to be decelerating since the government introduced stricter anti-infection measures on Nov. 1.

Russia records new daily high in infections

MOSCOW — Russia has reported a new one-day high in the number of confirmed coronavirus infections recorded.

The national virus task force reported 22,702 new cases and 391 more virus-related deaths on Saturday. Russia’s highest daily death toll of the pandemic, 439, was reported on Thursday. Overall, Russia has reported 1,903.000 confirmed virus cases and 32,834 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Lebanese police patrolling streets, enforcing restrictions

BEIRUT — Lebanese police are patrolling the streets of Beirut and ordering shops to close as the country begins a two-week lockdown to limit the spread of the coronavirus that has killed dozens over the past days in the small Mediterranean country.

The number of cases increased sharply in recent weeks around Lebanon, straining the country’s medical sector and almost filling hospital intensive care units.

A nighttime curfew has been extended during the lockdown lasting from sunset to sunrise while driving will be completely banned around the country on Sundays. Vehicles with odd and even number plates will be allowed to drive three days a week each to limit traffic.

The lockdown comes as Lebanon is passing through its worst economic and financial crisis in decades, leading to criticism of the closure by business owners who cannot afford the loss of revenue. Over the past year, the local currency shed 80% of its value and tens of thousands lost their jobs in a population of some 5 million that has one of the highest debt ratios in the world.

German doctors call for postponing non-urgent surgeries

BERLIN — Doctors in Germany are calling for hospitals to postpone non-urgent surgeries in areas with high rates of coronavirus infections so medical personnel can concentrate on critically ill COVID patients.

Hospitals in Germany have resisted putting off plannable and elective procedures, arguing they would risk financial ruin doing so without further government support.

But a doctors union and four medical associations said in a joint statement Saturday that unless the strain on staff members can be eased, “many intensive care units in particular will soon pass breaking point.”

They called on the government to send a “clear signal” to hospitals that any loss of income compared to the previous year will be compensated.

According to the intensive care medicine association DIVI, the number of ICU beds in Germany occupied by COVID-19 patients is higher than it was during the spring.

Merkel says nursing home workers, residents to be first vaccinated

BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel says nursing home workers and the people they are caring for will be among the first to get access to coronavirus vaccines.

Merkel said Saturday in her weekly video address that staff and residents of nursing homes will “receive priority” as soon as a vaccine is available.

Almost 1 million people in Germany live in nursing and care homes. The country is seeking to buy 100 million doses of a vaccine being developed by German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and U.S. partner Pfizer.

Germany’s disease control agency reported a further 22,461 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to Saturday, as well as 178 additional deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, Germany has recorded 773,556 confirmed cases and 12,378 deaths.

93 new deaths from coronavirus in Turkey

ISTANBUL — Turkish health ministry statistics show 93 people died in a day of COVID-19 amid a surge in infections, bringing the daily death toll to numbers last seen in April.

In figures released late Friday, the health ministry also reported 3,045 new patients, referring to the number of confirmed cases presenting symptoms. Turkey has been criticized for only releasing the number of symptomatic cases in its figures since late July and the total number of confirmed infections is unclear.

The figures also show an upward trend in the number of critically ill patients. The total death toll has reached 11,326.

Turkey lifted temporary weekend lockdowns in late May and reopened travel, restaurants and other businesses. Officials have been urging people to stay at home but new restrictions so far have been limited to curtailing the movement of senior citizens in Istanbul and Ankara, closing businesses at 10 p.m. and banning smoking in crowded public places across the country.