Pfizer and its collaborator BioNTech announced early Wednesday it plans to start the Food and Drug Administration approval process “within days” for its candidate vaccine, BNT162b2, after further analysis showed it’s 95% effective.
Newly released data found the candidate vaccine prevented 95% of infections from the virus that causes COVID-19 after evaluating 170 people who were infected, 162 of which took the placebo, the company said in a news release.
Pfizer to seek approval from FDA 'within days' after further analysis finds COVID-19 vaccine 95% effective
Pfizer and BioNTech are expected to produce up to 50 million doses globally in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021. The news comes days after Moderna, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, announced early Monday its candidate vaccine, mRNA-1273, developed in collaboration with the U.S. government, appeared to be 94.5% effective against COVID-19.
There were 10 severe cases of COVID-19 in the trial, with nine of them occurring in the placebo group.
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According to the news release, the candidate vaccine was 94% effective in adults over 65 years of age, but maintained efficacy across gender, race and ethnicity demographics.
Researchers also found the vaccine was “well tolerated” across the 43,000 study participants who were enrolled with no serious safety concerns. The participants reported mild to moderate side effects, mostly fatigue and headache.
“The study results mark an important step in this historic eight-month journey to bring forward a vaccine capable of helping to end this devastating pandemic,” said Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO. “With hundreds of thousands of people around the globe infected every day, we urgently need to get a safe and effective vaccine to the world.”
Fact check: Pfizer received COVID-19 vaccine data after Election Day, released within days
Claims that Pfizer withheld positive news about its COVID-19 vaccine until after Joe Biden became president-elect are false.Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, claimed in a video posted to Facebook on Nov. 11 that Pfizer withheld the news until after Joe Biden secured enough electoral votes to become president-elect on Nov. 7.
By reaching this safety milestone, the companies say they plan to submit a request to the FDA for emergency use authorization “within days.”
Pfizer and BioNTech are expected to produce up to 50 million doses globally in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021.
The news comes days after Moderna, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, announced early Monday its candidate vaccine, mRNA-1273, developed in collaboration with the U.S. government, appeared to be 94.5% effective against COVID-19.
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Both the Moderna and the Pfizer/BioNTech candidate vaccines depend on a technology called mRNA that uses the body's natural processes to turn cells into factories producing a protein found on the outside of the virus that causes COVID-19. The immune system then learns to recognize that protein and attack the virus if it appears.
Broncos DC Ed Donatell back home recovering after COVID-related hospitalization
Broncos defensive coordinator Ed Donatell required hospitalization after contracting the coronavirus, according to the team. The second-year Denver DC was hospitalized last week but discharged Sunday. Donatell, 63, has been battling COVID-19 symptoms since Oct. 31 and has missed the past three games. Donatell, who is in his third stint with the franchise, is one of a few Broncos staffers to have contracted the virus. Running backs coach Curtis Modkins did so in October, and offensive line coach Mike Munchak was in the team’s COVID protocol.
While Pfizer has passed the safety milestone, Moderna will likely take longer to do this because it enrolled its trial participants at a slightly slower pace.
Both companies will have to show they can safely produce their vaccine at scale. Pfizer said it would provide the FDA with all necessary information in its emergency use application. It's not clear when Moderna will complete that process, but it is not expected to slow its application.
Once receiving each application, the FDA will review them, as will the independent Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.
It's not known how long that process will take, but the regulatory agency is expected to issue an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine before the end of the year.
Contributing: Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY. Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.
Doctors and nurses want more data before championing vaccines to end the pandemic
Health-care leaders say they are finding unexpected wariness among medical workers about taking the novel vaccines, based on concerns about President Trump’s politicization of the government’s reviews, their rapid development under Operation Warp Speed, and a lack of information about longer-term safety and effectiveness. Large health systems, medical societies and the federal government are launching an effort to persuade front-line health care providers to take novel vaccines that were developed, and are likely to be granted emergency approval, in record time.
Low-level inmates from El Paso County detention facility work loading bodies wrapped in plastic into a refrigerated temporary morgue trailer in a parking lot of the El Paso County Medical Examiner's office on November 16, 2020 in El Paso, Texas. The inmates, who are also known as trustees, are volunteering for the work and earn $2 per hour amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in El Paso.
A medical staff member works on a computer as the number on the wall indicates the days since the hospital opened its COVID-19 unit at United Memorial Medical center on November 14, 2020 in Houston, Texas. According to reports, Texas has reached over 1,070,000 cases, including over 19,900 deaths.
Jeff Sutter wipes down machines at Life Time Beachwood, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, in Beachwood, Ohio. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's statewide address urging Ohioans to take the coronavirus more seriously included threats to close bars, restaurants and gyms for a second time while stopping short of the type of severe crackdowns implemented in the spring.
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Family and friends gather at Getz Funeral Home in Las Cruces on Friday Nov. 6, 2020, for a funeral for Thomas Mobley Jr. Mobely died Monday from complications due to COVID-19.
Cindy Martinez of Fond du Lac. looks at pictures of two of her three sons who died from drug overdoses. She was laid off from her job during the COVID-19 Safer at Home order, found another job and uses her life experience to mentor young women who suffer from emotional trauma.
Cars with seniors drive by hot air balloons during the 5th annual Golden Years Jamboree, a drive-through event at the balloon launch field near the Anderson Civic Center in Anderson, S.C. Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. The annual jamboree was originally scheduled for last July, but was postponed as governments responded to the threat of COVID-19 by postponing events, and in many cases cancelling them. The seniors held their event, with over 100 cars with seniors driving through.
Tommy Forrest, Director of Upstate Quilts of Valor Upstate South Carolina, wears a mask quilted with lips before receiving the 24th annual Jo Brown Senior of the Year award, during the 5th annual Golden Years Jamboree, a drive-through event at the balloon launch field near the Anderson Civic Center Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020.
Residents of Cuyahoga county, separated by plastic due to health concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic, fill out paper ballots for early, in person voting at the board of elections office in downtown Cleveland, Ohio on Oct. 16, 2020.
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Ivanka Trump, an advisor to President Donald Trump and his daughter, places an order at Graeter's ice cream shop in Mariemont, Ohio, after speaking at a campaign rally, Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, in Cincinnati.
On Thursday morning, Oct. 15th, 2020, Deanna Hair is discharged from the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich. with help from her husband, Ken Hair, who pushes her in a wheelchair after being there for 195 days battling COVID (She was admitted on April 2nd). Her survival is nothing short of a miracle and is very possibly the longest COVID hospitalization for a survivor in the state, if not nationally - longer. Hair's family and friends gather in front of the hospital to give her a surprise send off from the hospital.
Maureen Ustenci wears a mask while looking into a tank at the California Academy of Sciences, which reopened today to limited capacity to members and donors, in San Francisco, Oct. 13, 2020. Ten California counties were cleared to ease coronavirus restrictions Tuesday, including some in the Central Valley that saw major case spikes over the summer, but the state's top health official warned that upcoming Halloween celebrations pose a risk for renewed spread.
A glass of clean pens stands next to a glass for dirty pens outside a news conference with Colorado governor Jared Polis about the state's spike in cases of the new coronavirus, Oct. 13, 2020, in Denver.
Ballet student Micah Sparrow dances in a classroom at the Texas Ballet Theatre, Oct. 7, 2020, in Fort Worth, Texas. For many, it's not Christmas without the dance of Clara, Uncle Drosselmeyer, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King and, of course, the Nutcracker Prince. But this year the coronavirus pandemic has canceled performances of “The Nutcracker” around the U.S. and Canada, eliminating a major and reliable source of revenue for dance companies already reeling financially following the essential shutdown of their industry.
A person rides his bike near Time Square on Sept. 28, 2020 in New York City. Coronavirus infection rates have increased at "an alarming rate" in several New York neighborhoods, particularly among the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, city health authorities warned Sunday, threatening to sanction certain schools if they fail to comply with anti-virus regulations.
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Live events industry workers push empty cases from Marquee Theatre to Tempe Beach Park on Sept. 22, 2020, in Tempe, Ariz. The rally was held to show the impact of COVID-19 on the live events industry and its workers.
Barback Jaime Torres (L) and bartender Brandi Sterner make drinks after the bartop opened for the first time at Lucky Day bar in the Fremont East Entertainment District on Sept. 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nev. Last week, Nevada's COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Task Force voted to allow bars and lounges in Clark County to reopen at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday because of declining coronavirus numbers. The vote removes the last of the bar closure orders re-imposed by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak in July due to increasing COVID-19 cases. Venues have to observe COVID-19 safety protocols and operate at half capacity, maintain social distancing between guests and employees and patrons must wear face coverings indoors. This is the first time Lucky Day will be open as a bar because it opened during the shutdown.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Ethan Johnson, right, sprays hand sanitizer on the hands of a customer entering the Micro Center computer department store in Dallas, Sept. 21, 2020.
Visitors pass a hand sanitizer dispensing station as they visit Zoo Miami, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Miami. The zoo reopened Tuesday as Miami-Dade and Broward counties moved to Phase 2 of reopening on Monday.
An instructor helps a student with her online school lesson at a desk separated from others by plastic barriers at STAR Eco Station Tutoring & Enrichment Center on September 10, 2020 in Culver City, California. - California public school students will continue to learn at home, in private learning pods, or at specialized enrichment centers like Star Eco Station as the coronavirus pandemic continues, after a lawsuit brought by the Orange County Board of Education seeking to compel the state to reopen public schools was shot down by the California Supreme Court on September 10.
Inside the Franklin Public Library, Assistant Youth Services Librarian Bree Comeau leads the Happy Feet Creative Movement and Dance Class Friday morning on zoom. She has as many as 15 youngsters taking part. The library has instituted curbside pickup and drop off, but the library itself remains closed to the public due to the coronavirus.
A waiter in a face mask takes the order of customers inside a local restaurant during lunch during the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in Hoboken, N.J.
People roller skate along Venice Beach amid the COVID-19 pandemic on September 3, 2020 in Venice, California. Retailers are reporting high demand for roller skates as people search for outdoor activities amid lifestyle restrictions due to the coronavirus. According to Google data, roller skating related searches from March to May nearly quadrupled.
A sign announcing COVID-19 pandemic health rules is displayed along the Venice Beach boardwalk where people sometimes roller skate on September 3, 2020 in Venice, California. Retailers are reporting high demand for roller skates as people search for outdoor activities amid lifestyle restrictions due to the coronavirus. According to Google data, roller skating related searches from March to May nearly quadrupled.
Burnell Franklin, of Paterson, wipes down his workout area at Gold's Gym, which reopened to the public after being closed since March due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Totowa, N.J. on Tuesday Sept. 1, 2020.
One of two swings is zip-tied to the top of the swing set in order to enforce distancing during a tour to highlight coronavirus precautions being implemented by Collier County Public Schools throughout the district at Mike Davis Elementary School near Golden Gate on Thursday, August 13, 2020.
In this Aug. 20, 2020, file photo, Jemison band's flag girls wear masks as they cheer on their team at an Alabama high school football game between Jemison and Thorsby in Thorsby, Ala.
Jamestown Fire Department’s 1947 Dodge pumper sending a message to residents in Jamestown, Rhode Island to mask up. It’s parked in front of JFD’s Bucky Caswell Memorial Museum on Narragansett Avenue in Jamestown. The fire engine was purchased by the department from the Block Island Fire Department in 2010 and restored by firefighter Lew Kitts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kitts and his engine have led many birthday parades, teacher/student appreciation processions and other celebrations for the town’s residents. Outside of COVID-19 related events, Kitts annually cruises the island’s neighborhoods with Santa or the Easter Bunny on board and normally would participate in Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Block Island 4th of July parade.
Server Maddie Fink delivers a drink order Aug. 13 at the Clear Water Harbor Restaurant & Bar in Waupaca. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, more people than usual are pulling up their boats to the dock and ordering lunch while staying in their boats, said co-owner Maureen Mondello.
An aerial view of members of the Jetty Fitness Club training with what they call a "Life Outside the Box" workout led by fitness instructor Alexa Hoovis at the beach on August 18, 2020 in Long Beach, New York. Gyms, which have been closed in New York since mid-March to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, will be allowed to open again as soon as August 24th Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced.
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 18: Guests watch television coverage of the Democratic National Convention at a virtual DNC party overlooking the city on August 18, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The convention, which was once expected to draw 50,000 people to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is now taking place virtually due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775548277 ORIG FILE ID: 1228100578
FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 20: Patrons watch a movie at AMC DINE-IN Thoroughbred 20 on August 20, 2020 in Franklin, Tennessee. AMC Theaters reopened more than 100 of its movie theaters across the United States today for the first time since closing in March because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with a 15-cent ticket price promotion and new safety precautions in place. According to AMC, enhanced cleaning and safety protocols include disinfecting theaters before each show, mandatory face coverings for employees and customers, upgraded air filtration systems where possible, and high-touch points cleaned throughout the day. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are available throughout the theaters, auditoriums are at 40 percent capacity or less. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775547103 ORIG FILE ID: 1267403617
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 20: A woman wearing a yellow outfit with matching protective mask walks down the sidewalk as the city continues Phase 4 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on August 20, 2020 in New York City. The fourth phase allows outdoor arts and entertainment, sporting events without fans and media production. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775526444 ORIG FILE ID: 1267433271
Breakfast is handed out to students in Jessica Hicks’ second grade classroom at Norwood Elementary School in Oliver Springs, Tenn., on Monday, August 10, 2020. Anderson County Schools are starting on a staggered schedule on Aug. 10.
Meko Gray, left, of the Erie Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., and Pastor Jim Parkinson of the First Methodist Church, go door-to-door Aug. 8, 2020 on East 19th Street in Erie, handing out masks and literature about COVID-19. The outreach event, organized by United Clergy of Erie, focused on the communities which have experienced high rates of COVID-19.
A man walks near a store window display featuring mannequins wearing protective masks as the New York City continues Phase 4 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on Aug. 8, 2020.
Jonathan Lasanas, left, and Damian Pardo, right, pass out free meals during an event sponsored by the Gay8 Festival during the coronavirus pandemic, Aug. 7, 2020, in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami. The Gay8 Festival is an annual Hispanic LGBTQ celebration in Little Havana.
Shanika Williams wears a facemask as she delivers food in John Knox Village, a retirement community in Pompano Beach some 40 miles north of Miami, Fla. on Aug. 7, 2020. About 900 retirees live in the John Knox Village senior community in Pompano Beach, South Florida. Of these, about 400 have learned to use technology to order food to their apartments, communicate with each other or participate in online social activities.
Congregants wear face shields during the first-ever outdoor Ordination Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels amid the COVID-19 pandemic on Aug. 8, 2020 in Los Angeles. Archbishop Gomez ordained eight new priests, known as the Pandemic Class of 2020, beneath a tent with social distancing in a rite delayed more than two months due to the spread of the coronavirus.
People take an outdoor class at Pylo Fitness, with workout equipment set up on the sidewalk on La Brea Blvd, on Aug. 7 2020, in Los Angeles, California, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Election workers are spaced out and separated by screens for protection from the coronavirus as they open envelopes containing ballots for the Aug. 4 Washington state primary at King County Elections in Renton, Wash. on Aug. 3, 2020.
Staff work to continually clean all communal surfaces in the hopes of nullifying any viral spread during pre-tournament action in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 in Shelby County, Tenn.
A customer of Cosmo's barber shop receives a haircut in the parking lot in front of the shop on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, in Pleasanton, Calif. Throughout May and June, California reopened much of its economy, and people resumed shopping in stores and dining in restaurants. But infections began to surge and a new round of business restrictions were imposed, including a ban on indoor dining in restaurants and bars.
Noah Vasquez, of Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, wears a face mask on the wave rider, July 19, 2020, in Hollywood, Fla., during the coronavirus pandemic.
Juan Carlos, a host at Ocean 10 restaurant, stands at the entrance of the restaurant to turn customers away as a curfew from 8pm to 6am is put in place on July 18, 2020 in Miami Beach, Florida. The City of Miami Beach put the curfew back into place to fight the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), which has spiked in recent days after the reopening of businesses.
People wearing protective face masks walk along King St. on July 18, 2020 in Charleston, S.C. South Carolina is struggling with a high percentage of positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test results.
Artists Jack Schwab, and Debbie Wilger, wear their masks July 14, 2020, inside the Missouri Artists on Main store in downtown St. Charles, Mo. Schwab, 60, who makes silver jewelry, and Wilger, 63, a painter, are concerned about the uptick in coronavirus cases in St. Charles County, and say most customers in the store abide by their facial covering policy, but a few have left in anger because of it.
Afework Meshesha, right, pushes his daughter Yohanna while she rides a swing at a playground, Saturday, July 11, 2020, in Los Angeles. The number of deaths per day from the coronavirus in the U.S. had been falling for months, and even remained down as some states saw explosions in cases. But now a long-expected upturn has begun, driven by fatalities in states in the South and West.
Aubrey Prugger bags groceries for a customer while wearing a face covering at MaMa Jean's Natural Market on Republic Road in Springfield, Illinois to slow the spread of COVID-19 on Friday, July 10, 2020.
Bailey Lorcher, left, and Evan Heffernan, from Calabasas, California, attend "Concerts In Your Car," Saturday, July 11, 2020, at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, Calif.
Guests wearing protective masks wait outside the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World on the first day of reopening, in Orlando, Florida, on July 11, 2020.
Healthcare workers Peggy Quartrman (L) and Tiffany Burke prepare to register patients during the COVID-19 drive-thru testing at the Duke Energy for the Arts Mahaffey Theater on July 8, 2020 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Pinellas County Government partnered with state and local health care agencies to open a COVID-19 testing site while the state undergoes another surge in coronavirus cases.
Candace Sanders, right, sits behind a plastic curtain while getting a pedicure at HT&V Nails in the Harlem section of New York, Monday, July 6, 2020. Nail salons and dog runs were back in business on Monday as New York City entered a new phase in the easing of coronavirus restrictions, but indoor restaurant dining will be postponed indefinitely in order to prevent a spike in new infections.
Lines of cars wait at a drive-through coronavirus testing site, Sunday, July 5, 2020, outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Florida health officials say the state has reached a grim milestone: more than 200,000 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since the start of the outbreak.
A pedestrian, wearing a mask to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, walks down Miami Beach, Florida's famed Ocean Drive on South Beach, July 4, 2020. The Fourth of July holiday weekend began Saturday with some sobering numbers in the Sunshine State: Florida logged a record number of people testing positive for the coronavirus.
People wearing face coverings walk past the closed Santa Monica Pier amid the COVID-19 pandemic on July 3, 2020 in Santa Monica, California. Los Angeles County beaches and piers will be closed starting today through the July 4th holiday weekend amid some reinstated restrictions intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Participants Amy Saylor, left, leads her dog Josie during the Clemson Area PUP parade at Clemson Heritage Assisted Living in Central, S.C. Tuesday, June 30, 2020. A group of dogs led by Paws 2 Care of Greenville dressed in patriotic attire for a group of residents seated outdoors in the shade, and wished them a Happy Fourth of July.
New Hampshire House of Representatives members gather for a legislative session on the drained hockey rink at the University of New Hampshire on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, in Durham, N.H. The N.H. House met for their scheduled final session of the year, with safety restrictions due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), joined by members of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, listens during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on June 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. Pelosi joined her colleagues to unveil the Climate Crisis action plan, which calls for government mandates, tax incentives and new infrastructure to bring the U.S. economys greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., wears a face mask as she arrives to speak at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, June 26, 2020.
Alcozy Payno-Gamble reads as she waits in line to vote in primary elections at the Nepperhan Community Center in Yonkers, N.Y. June 23, 2020. Despite the number of people who voted early by absentee ballot, election workers at the site said turnout was heavier than usual, which they attributed to the fact that there were fewer polling sites than usual throughout the city due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Restaurant set tables on Main street, closed to traffic, to create an outdoor dining area where people can enjoy lunch in Annapolis, Maryland, on June 21, 2020 - Visitors flock to Annapolis for the start of summer 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Danielle Espinoza, right, listens as hairstylist Wendy Newsome, in Portland, Ore., provides a virtual guided haircut through Zoom during the coronavirus outbreak in San Francisco, Saturday, June 13, 2020.
Manager Adam Smith of the Hanover Raiders, left, and manager Mike Kipe of the Hagerstown Braves, right, stand at proper social distances with umpires Denny Rotz, center back, and Carl McKee before playing in game one of a doubleheader in the South Penn Baseball League at Diller Field on June 20, 2020 in Hanover, Pennsylvania. In their 55th season, the South Penn Baseball League resumed today after being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and following Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf issuing guidelines for recreational sports. Many other levels of baseball have been canceled or postponed due to coronavirus around the globe, including Major League Baseball.
Rhode Island Democratic state Rep. Raymond Hull, below center, holds a microphone on the floor of the House Chamber while separated by plastic protective barriers at the start of a legislative session, Wednesday, June 17, 2020, at the Statehouse, in Providence, R.I. Wednesday's session was the first by the legislature to be held on the floor of the chamber since March of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
People exercise at Inspire South Bay Fitness behind plastic sheets in their workout pods while observing social distancing on June 15, 2020 in Redondo Beach, Calif. as the gym reopens today under California's coronavirus Phase 3 reopening guidelines.
Sonia Singh, the manager of Ashley 21 clothing store, tapes up a social distancing sign in Mount Vernon, N.Y., June 9, 2020. Counties north of New York City are reopening clothing stores as part of Phase 2 during the coronavirus pandemic.
People ride the subway on the first day of phase one of the reopening after the coronavirus lockdown on June 8, 2020 in New York City. New York City enters phase one one hundred days after the first confirmed case of Covid-19.
Nyasha Sarju sits as a Seattle Fire Department paramedic prepares to take a nasal swab sample to test for coronavirus at a testing site, Monday, June 8, 2020, in Seattle, after Sarju came in to be checked following her protesting over the past two weeks in the city. The new citywide testing program expanded testing criteria to include individuals who participated in demonstrations throughout the past week, where people who have been protesting the death of George Floyd, a black man who was died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.
Dealers in masks wait for customers before the reopening of the D Las Vegas hotel and casino, June 3, 2020, in Las Vegas. Casinos were allowed to reopen on Thursday after temporary closures as a precaution against the coronavirus.
USA; Amanda Davidson helps her daughter, Lyle, put on her face mask after they got out of the pool at Rosewood Pool on Tuesday June 2, 2020. Some city-owned swimming pools are reopening with reduced hours and capacity and with new rules to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Guests must have their temperature taken and give their contact information before entering the facility, and they must wear face masks when outside the pool. The pool closes every two hours for a 15-minute cleaning and disinfecting.
Lifeguard Mark Rerecich wears a mask as he watches over guests at Cowabunga Bay Water Park, which was allowed to open for the first time this weekend because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on May 30, 2020 in Henderson, Nevada.
Kalea Shippee, owner of Salon Meraki, in Brattleboro, Vt., works on dying the hair of Jen Delano on Friday, May 29, 2020. Friday was the first time the salon was allowed to open up since Vermont closed all hair salons and barbershops because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada works on a 20,000-square foot mural of a health care worker in a parking lot in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the Queens borough of New York on May 27, 2020.
Surrounded by fellow House Republican members, House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol, May 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. Calling it unconstitutional, Republican leaders have filed a lawsuit against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and congressional officials in an effort to block the House of Representatives from using a proxy voting system to allow for remote voting during the coronavirus pandemic.
Invited guests listen as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event on protecting seniors with diabetes, in the Rose Garden at the White House on May 26, 2020 in Washington, DC. The United States is closing in on 100,000 deaths in less than four months caused by the coronavirus.
Rep. John Mark Windle, left, D-Livingston, wears a mask due to COVID-19 precautions during a meeting of the House K-12 subcommittee Tuesday, May 26, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. Lawmakers resumed working inside the legislative facilities Tuesday.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, center, and Isaiah Tsosie, right, an office specialist with the Coyote Canyon chapter, move fresh food off a truck to be distributed to community members at a food distribution point before the start of a weekend long curfew, in Coyote Canyon, N.M., on the Navajo Nation on May 15, 2020. All businesses including the 13 grocery stores on the reservation were closed during the weekend long curfew to combat the new coronavirus pandemic. The Navajo Nation has been one of the hardest hit areas from the COVID-19 pandemic in the entire United States.
Workers have nearly completed preparations for the arrival of Illinois state representatives at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield, Ill. on May 18, 2020, when the Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield for three days to take up a spring session workload long delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The House will gather at the downtown location instead of in their chamber in the Illinois Capitol building a few blocks away because it affords more space for legislators to practice social distancing.
Candace Montgomery finishes a hair cut with Ralph Duncan of Anderson at Great Clips in Anderson, S.C. Monday, May 18, 2020. Gyms, salons, tattoo parlors and other close-contact businesses in the Upstate opened their doors Monday after an executive order closing them was lifted in South Carolina.
A crew member in a mask looks on in the garage area prior to the NASCAR Cup Series The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 17, 2020 in Darlington, South Carolina. NASCAR resumes the season after the nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19).
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) helps to register families as they wait in line in their vehicles for food to be distributed by the group Empowering Culpeper at the Culpeper Sports Complex May 16, 2020 in Culpeper, Virginia.
Jayden Deltoro, left, watches "Trolls World Tour," while wearing a protective mask amid the coronavirus pandemic, at the Four Brothers Drive In Theatre, Friday, May 15, 2020, in Amenia, N.Y.
Joe Barnes, owner of Safe Spray Services, sprays disinfectant at Rococo restaurant as he treats and cleans the surfaces on Friday, May 15, 2020, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Barnes turned his grease traps cleaning service to a COVID-19 deep-cleaning service, that includes disinfectant spay, clean-up and UV ray treatment, to contribute to the pandemic response and keep his employees paid.
Ivanka Trump, first daughter and adviser to President Donald Trump, adjusts her mask after a tour at the distribution center of Coastal Sunbelt Produce May 15, 2020 in Laurel, Maryland.
Shandrika Pritchett with the Walton County Health Department administers a COVID-19 test at a drive-thru testing station set up at the Van R Butler Elementary School on May 14 in South Walton County, Fla.
Hollywood police officers monitor activity along the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk during the new coronavirus pandemic, Wednesday, May 13, 2020, in Hollywood, Fla.
People wait in line as members of the US Army National Guard hand out food and other essentials for people in need at a food pantry in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on May 13, 2020.
The United States Navy Blue Angels fly over Chicago outside of Northwestern Memorial Hospital to honor healthcare workers and all those affected by COVID-19, May 12, 2020.
Lee Moore of White Plains, N.Y. picks out Mother's Day roses at Sunshine Market in White Plains May 10, 2020. Moore was buying roses for her mother, mother-in-law, and a friend, all of which she said would be delivered while practicing social distancing, including just leaving the roses for her friend on her doorstep.
A woman dressed in a former New England Patriots' Tom Brady jersey, waits in line at a food distribution site, Saturday, May 9, 2020, in Chelsea, Mass. The donated food was delivered to the site in the Patriots' team truck.
Angela Hernandez has her hair washed at Kosmo Salon on Friday, May 8, 2020. Barbershops and nail salons reopened on Friday, May 8, 2020 as part of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to reopen after coronavirus closures.
Battelle decontamination technicians Zachary Leiman, left, and Rod McCollum prepare to test a Battelle CCDS Critical Care Decontamination System on May 8, 2020 in Brighton, Colorado. The decontamination system can process up to 80,000 used N95 respirators per day using vapor phase hydrogen peroxide that kills coronavirus and allows masks to be reused 20 times without degradation.
Alice Mayes, 92, is visited by her family at Signature HealthCARE on May 6, 2020 in NewBurgh, Ind. The family, from left, Onya Rhoades, Lexi Rhoads, 3, Dylan Rhoades, 5, Kaitlyn Helmbrecht, 2, James Helmbrecht and Del Mayes were separated by a window glass on May 6, 2020 in Newburgh, Ind. The 92-year-old is a COVID-19 survivor.
Members of the National Nurses United stand among 88 pairs of empty shoes representing nurses that they say have died from COVID-19 while demonstrating in Lafayette Park across from the White House May 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. The union is protesting during Nurses' Week to demand that their employers and the federal government 'provide safe workplaces by providing optimal personal protective equipment (PPE), safe staffing, presumptive eligibility for workers compensation benefits and more' during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Jurek Williamson, the owner of King’s Temple Barber Shop in Memphis, Tenn. cuts the hair of Dashawn Whiting, 16, on May 6, 2020, the first day he is able to reopen his shop during Phase 1 of the city’s plan to restart the economy after it was shuttered over fears stemming from spread of the coronavirus pandemic. (Via OlyDrop)
No need for social distancing on this day at the Whippy Dip ice cream stand in Erie, Pa. on May 5, 2020. Ed Beck, center, walks across the white X's placed six feet apart to help customers practice social distancing due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
With senators practicing social distancing Justin Walker testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be a U.S. circuit judge for the District of Columbia Circuit on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 6, 2020.
Lisa Ford, right, of Kyle, gets her temperature checked by Margaret Capulin before entering EVO Entertainment on Monday. The movie theater in Kyle, Texas reopened Monday after Gov. Greg Abbott last week lifted the shelter in place order and allowed retail stores, restaurants and some other businesses to open to the public at no more than 25% capacity.
The band Hypnotik performs out of a garage in a Northwest Oklahoma City neighborhood, for a social distance concert for neighbors, Saturday, May 2, 2020.
The casket of Paul Cary rests in the back of an Ambulnz ambulance at Newark International Airport where his body will be flown back to his home state of Colorado on May 3, 2020. Cary died of complications from COVID-19, he became sick while serving as a volunteer with Ambulnzís State of New York COVID Response team.
Amid concerns of the spread of COVID-19, Curtis Sulcer wipes down an escalator for shoppers at the North Park Mall in Dallas, Saturday, May 2, 2020. Texas charged into its first weekend of re-opening the economy with residents allowed to go back to malls, restaurants, movie theaters and retail stores in limited numbers.
Tymber Bryant, left, and Jackie Baker, with the 228 Theater Tactical Signal Brigade of the South Carolina National Guard in Spartanburg, place food in the car of Sterling Crawford of Abbeville, food from Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina at the Department of Social Services Abbeville County Government Buildings in Abbeville, S.C. on Friday, May 1, 2020. Donal Dickens, the Williamston Branch Manager of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina said there was enough food for three days for 500 families who drove through, which ran out in two hours.
United States Postal Service mail carrier Frank Colon, 59, delivers mail amid the coronavirus pandemic on April 30, 2020 in El Paso, Texas. Everyday the United States Postal Service employees work and deliver essential mail to customers.
Medical workers take in patients outside of a special coronavirus intake area at Maimonides Medical Center on May 01, 2020 in the Borough Park neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Hospitals in New York City, which have been especially hard hit by the coronavirus, are just beginning to see a downturn in COVID-19 cases.
The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort prepares to depart Manhattan's West Side to return to Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on April 30, 2020 in New York City. The USNS Comfort, a floating hospital in the form of a Navy ship, is departing New York after the last patient aboard was discharged earlier this week. The Comfort's 1,000 beds and 12 operation rooms were deployed to ease pressure on New York hospitals amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Pedestrians walk past a sign in front of the The Anthem, a popular live music venue, displaying a message of support amid the coronavirus pandemic, on April 29, 2020, in Washington, DC.
Richard Frady of Hartwell, Georgia, a recovering COVID-19 patient in the Intensive Care Unit at AnMed Health in Anderson, waves a "Can't Wait to be Home!" sign on his 32nd day after diagnosis, to his wife Sally Frady and daughter Allison Nissen of Atlanta, from his window at the hospital with medical staff in Anderson, S.C. Tuesday, April 28, 2020.
Phoenix Fire Department engineer Jake Fierros, left, receives a free antibody test for the new coronavirus, administered by Phoenix Fire Department engineer paramedic Johnny Johnson at the Phoenix Fire Department training facility in Phoenix on April 28, 2020. Antibody tests, do not test for the presence of COVID-19 itself, but detect whether someone has the antibodies in their immune system to fight off the virus. Within ten minutes after taking the test that first responder was notified by phone if they tested positive. The tests available to all members of the Phoenix Fire Department were organized by the United Phoenix Firefighters Association.
A person wears a mask to protect against the coronavirus, votes in the Ohio primary election at the Hamilton County Board of Elections on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in Norwood, a suburb of Cincinnati.
AnMed Health staff and bystanders take photos and video of F-16 planes from The South Carolina Air National Guard 169th Fighter Wing flying over the hospital in Anderson, S.C. Monday, April 27, 2020. The group stated they "are humbled by the sacrifices made from our first responders and healthcare professionals. As our jets return from a training mission late Monday morning, 27 April, our six-ship formation of Swamp Fox F-16 fighter jets will split off into three groups, with each group flying over different regions of the state in a display of national thanks to all who are fighting the good fight.""Our flight planners did their best to cover as many areas of our great state that flight limitations could allow. We wish we could flyover everyone who are contributing to winning the fight against COVID-19."
Vehicles line up to receive food during a donation drive by World Central Kitchen in the parking lot of the Camden Yards Sports Complex, Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Baltimore. World Central Kitchen conducted its food relief operation during the coronavirus outbreak to help relieve food insecurity faced by Baltimore's vulnerable communities, at the request of Governor Larry Hogan.
Eric Jones, 15, bowls as his dad, Heath, watches in the backyard of their Oklahoma City home, Tuesday, April 21, 2020. Health and his son Eric built a bowling lane in their backyard so that Eric, a competitive bowler, could continue to bowl while bowling alleys are closed.
Edwar Johnson works on making protective masks in Warren, Mich., Thursday, April 23, 2020. General Motors has about 400 workers at the now-closed transmission plant in suburban Detroit.
Caskets of Muslims who have passed away from the coronavirus are prepared for burial at a busy Brooklyn funeral home on the first day of Ramadan on April 24, 2020 in New York. Like the majority of New York City funeral homes, services that deal with the dead in New York's Muslim communities have been overwhelmed with the large number of deceased. Around the world, Muslims are preparing to observe the holy month of Ramadan under severe restrictions caused by the coronavirus outbreak. New York City, which has been the hardest hit city in America from COVID-19, is starting to see a slowdown in hospital visits and a lowering of the daily death rate from the virus.
Cars line up for food at the Utah Food Bank's mobile food pantry at the Maverik Center, Friday, April 24, 2020, in West Valley City, Utah. As coronavirus concerns continue, the need for assistance has increased, particularly at the Utah Food Bank.
Fitness coordinator Janet Hollander, leads a session of Balcony Boogie from outside Willamette Oaks in Eugene, Oregon for residents sheltering in their apartments during the COVID-19 shutdown Tuesday April 21, 2020. The staff of the senior housing center have modified some of the regular routines for residents, staging activities like morning stretches and aerobic opportunities while still observing social distancing protocols.
Sheila Parr and her daughters Violet Cann, left, 7, and Stella Cann, 5, donate food and toilet paper to the Little Free Library on Princeton Drive in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday April 21, 2020. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, many of the book exchange boxes around the U.S. are being repurposed as sharing boxes with free food and toilet paper.
The Paterson fire department COVID-19 EMS unit responds to a call for a person under investigation of having the coronavirus on April 16, 2020. Paterson has one of the highest coronavirus caseloads in N.J., with about 3,000 residents testing positive, according to New Jersey health officials.
Alma Cropper, 84, left, is given a coronavirus test near her vehicle at a walk-up testing center, April 20, 2020, in Annapolis, Md. According to the City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management, the testing site began with a limited number of tests for people with symptoms on Monday.
People wait in line for a coronavirus test at one of the new walk-in COVID-19 testing sites that opened at the located in the parking lot of NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health Morrisania in the Bronx Section of New York on April 20, 2020.
A pedestrian uses a face cover while walking in downtown Durham, N.C., Friday, April 17, 2020. Gov. Roy Cooper's stay-home orders remain in effect as the coronavirus has not yet reached its peak in the state according to some hospitals.
IMPD cadets salute during a traditional 10-42 end of duty call for IMPD Officer Breann Leath, Thursday, April 16, 2020. "I'm just heartbroken," Hannon, who indicated she has members of her family on police departments, said about the death of Leath.
A mourner attends the funeral of Saul Sanchez, a longtime JBS employee that died of the coronavirus disease, at Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Greeley, Colo. on Apr 15, 2020.
Mike Lane, a gas station attendant, tries to protect himself the best way he can to avoid the coronavirus while working at a Sunoco in Ridgefield Park, N.J. on April 15, 2020. NJ is the only state with full service gas in the country.
To reduce the number of times a patient's room door is opened and the amount of personal protective equipment required, nurses in the intensive care unit of MedStar St. Mary's Hospital communicate through a window with an erasable whiteboard from a COVID-19 patient's room on April 14, 2020 in Leonardtown, Maryland.
This trio finds ample room to walk through a Rochester, N.Y. neighborhood on April 14, 2020 while following social distancing protocols during the coronavirus pandemic.
A woman gestures to a child in a protective face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus to pose for a photograph with the Rocky statue outfitted with mock surgical face mask at the Philadelphia Art Museum in Philadelphia, April 14, 2020.
Finn, Thunder and Lego at the window of Ronald Boik visiting him as their owner Nicole George holds their leashes at the Cedar Woods Assisted Living in Belleville, Michigan on Saturday, April 11, 2020. Nicole and Tim George brought their three alpacas, Thunder, Finn and Lego to the nursing home to brighten up the day for some of the 110 residents that live there. Nozmi Elder, 70 of Dearborn and owner of Cedar Woods Assisted Living said most of the residents have been confined to their rooms for the past three weeks as precautions for the Coronavirus and thought the site of alpacas visiting them would lift their spirits.
Lisa Chamblee buys produce at Concord Market in Anderson, S.C. April 9, 2020. The market sells food and plants from local sources and is selling well according to the business.
A man wearing a mask walks by St. John's United Methodist Church COVID-19 Cross of Hope in Anderson, S.C. on April 9, 2020. The cross with royal blue ribbons for each diagnosed person in South Carolina started when there were 450 cases, but as the cross was placed in front of the church Thursday morning, the cases in South Carolina are at 2,552 with 63 deaths.
Sandra Cooley waves from her window to the Easter Bunny as he visits Crimson Village assisted living community Thursday, April 9, 2020. The bunny came from Amediysis, a home health, hospice care and personal care company that serves Crimson Village. The bunny stayed outside the building to ensure safety from COVID-19 exposure to the residents.
Rabbi Dean Shapiro (left) of Temple Emanuel in Tempe, angles his laptop so others online can see their Seder plate as Shapiro's partner, Haim Ainsworth and their son, Jacob Shapiro-Ainsworth, 11, look on, as they participate in an online Seder during the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover at their home in Tempe on April 8, 2020. The Seder which included members from Temple Emanuel was being held online because of the coronavirus pandemic.
First Responders gathered outside of Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y. on April 8, 2020, to applaud the doctors, nurses and staff for the hard work they are doing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Nurses in the emergency department of MedStar St. Mary's Hospital don personal protective equipment before entering the room of a patient suspected of having coronavirus April 8 in Leonardtown, Md.
A whimsical display fashioned like giant high-demand toilet paper rolls draws attention to Hub City Smokehouse's curbside service on Main Street in historic downtown Crestview, Fla. on April 7, 2020.
A woman looks for a director after voting at Riverside High School in Milwaukee on April 7, 2020. The Wisconsin primary is moving forward in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic after Gov. Tony Evers sought to shut down Tuesday's election in a historic move Monday that was swiftly rejected by the conservative majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court by the end of the day.
Becky Kops, right, uses a picker to hand her friend, Dajen Bohachek, a present as friends of Bohachek, of Bayside, held a social distance drive by birthday party for her during the coronavirus to celebrate her 44th birthday in Bayside, Wis. on Friday, April 3, 2020. The group decorated their vehicles at the Fox Point Village Hall before heading to Bohachek’s home to celebrate from the road. The stay at home order and the necessity to stay socially distant from each other has inspired creative ways for people to connect.
An Arlington County employee speaks with a woman at a drive-thru donation point created to collect unused and unopened personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and some food items to help people responding to the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic, in Arlington, Virginia on April 3, 2020.
Lorena Dominguez, a campus operations specialist at the IDEA Rundberg charter school in Austin, Texas, teaches math to kindergartener Reighan Holzkamp, 6, on Wednesday April 1, 2020. Ten children of first responders and essential workers are being taught at the school amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The City of Phoenix closes park amenities due to the COVID-19 health crisis on the first day of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's "stay at home" order at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix on April 1, 2020.
A body wrapped in plastic is prepared to be loaded onto a refrigerated container truck used as a temporary morgue by medical workers due to COVID-19 concerns, March 31, 2020, at Brooklyn Hospital Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York.
The Oculus Transportation Hub at the World Trade Center in Manhattan was all but empty March 30, 2020 as the stores that ring the site are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
State Rep. Vincent Pierre, D-Dist. 44, wears gloves as he holds his hand to his heart for the Pledge of Allegiance, as legislators convene in a limited number while exercising social distancing, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., March 31, 2020. They assembled briefly on the last day bills could be introduced during the legislative session.
Medical personnel take people out of the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing on Monday, March 30, 2020, in Gallatin Tenn. As of Sunday, 74 residents and 33 staff members at the facility has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a spokesperson for Gov. Bill Lee.
People prepare places to sleep in area marked by painted boxes on the ground of a parking lot at a makeshift camp for the homeless, March 30, 2020, in Las Vegas. Officials opened part of a parking lot as a makeshift homeless shelter after a local shelter closed when a man staying there tested positive for the coronavirus.
Gary Meyer, owner of Friedrichs Coffee, throws a bag of coffee into a car window at Friedrichs Coffee in Urbandale, Iowa, on Saturday, March 28, 2020. Meyer spent Saturday morning giving free bags of coffee to residents to help pull the community together as residents spend more time isolated in their homes due to the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Nurses stand on a hill outside the emergency entrance to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx borough of New York, Saturday, March 28, 2020, as they demonstrate with members of the New York Nursing Association in support of obtaining an adequate supply of personal protective equipment for those treating coronavirus patients. A member of the New York nursing community died earlier in the week at another New York hospital. The city leads the nation in the number of coronavirus cases. Nurses say they are having to reuse their protective equipment endangering patients and themselves.
A lone traveler enters an empty baggage claim area in Terminal Four at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix on Mar. 27, 2020. Airlines are reducing flights due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.
Teacher Julie Dannenmueller holds her sign for the students with the help of the Caped Crusader as teachers from Bluewater Elementary school have a parade through their school’s neighborhoods to sat “hi” to their homebound students on March 27, 2020 in Niceville, FL.
Robert Becker walks his dogs while carrying a .410 bore shotgun as a precaution due to the new coronavirus pandemic on March 26, 2020, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
A general view of a lock on the main entrance gate on what was supposed to be opening day between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Tom Giesfeldt, of Milwaukee walks his his dogs in an empty Miller Park parking lot on what would have been the Milwaukee Brewers opening day game against the Chicago Cubs in Milwaukee on Thursday, March 26, 2020. The game was postponed due to the coronavirus.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pfizer to seek approval from FDA 'within days' after further analysis finds COVID-19 vaccine 95% effective
Ravens WR Willie Snead tests positive for COVID-19 Sunday .
Watch some quick efficient passing by Louisville. As soon as David Johnson catches the ball he tosses it up to the hoop for Jae'Lyn Withers to throw it down for the ACC Must See Moment.