People over 75, front-line essential workers should get vaccine next, CDC panel says

Maritza Beniquez celebrated her birthday Tuesday by becoming the first person in New Jersey to receive a COVID-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial.

Beniquez, a nurse at University Hospital in Newark who is a single mother and first-generation Puerto Rican, clasped her hands in prayer as she was administered the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on live television.

"Thank you, God!" she said. "I'm very excited. This moment means everything."

ABC News' Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine doses across the country is "bittersweet" because "we still have a struggle ahead of us."

"We are still in a terrible situation with the numbers ... the deaths, the hospitalizations, the number of cases," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos in an interview Tuesday on "Good Morning America."

"And yet, we're really now starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel that is going to ultimately get us through this. We know we're going to be able to put this behind us," he added. "But in the meantime, we still have a struggle ahead of us. So we've got to get people vaccinated as quickly and as expeditiously as we possibly can."

Fauci said he believes 75% to 80% of the U.S. population will need to be vaccinated in order to achieve a "herd immunity" against the novel coronavirus. Until then, he said, "we have to adhere to the public health measures in order to blunt the acceleration of these terrible numbers that we hear everyday."

Fauci, who is a key member of the current White House coronavirus task force, said the speed with which the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was developed and authorized "was not at all at the sacrifice of safety," but rather is "the reflection of extraordinary advances in the science of vaccine platform technology."

"People are understandably skeptical about the speed," he added, "but we have to keep emphasizing, speed means the science was extraordinary that got us here."

Fauci, who will stay on in his role and be a chief medical adviser on the coronavirus pandemic in President-elect Joe Biden's incoming administration, said he believes both Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should get vaccinated as soon as possible.

"For security reasons, I really feel strongly that we should get them vaccinated as soon as we possibly can," he said. "You want him fully protected as he enters into the presidency in January, so that would be my strong recommendation."

When asked about whether he thinks President Donald Trump should be vaccinated, Fauci said he would recommend that Trump as well as Vice President Mike Pence get the shot.

"You still want to protect people who are, you know, very important to our country right now," he said. "Even though the president himself was infected and he has likely antibodies that likely would be protective, we're not sure how long that protection lasts. So to be doubly sure, I would recommend that he get vaccinated as well as the Vice President."

The New York nurse who was among the first in the nation to receive a COVID-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial said she feels "great" so far and has "no side effects."

"I feel great," Sandra Lindsay told ABC News' Robin Roberts in an interview Tuesday on "Good Morning America."

"No pain, no feeling of tiredness, no malaise," she added. "No muscle aches. No side effects for me."

Lindsay, a critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York City, was administered the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on live television Monday. She was the first person in the state of New York to get the shot outside of a clinical trial.

"I volunteered," she said. "I am a leader in the organization, and so I think it as incredibly important for me to lead by example like I do everyday."

Lindsay said she wanted "to send a message to people who might be on the fence that they should trust the science." She said people who were initially hesitant about getting the vaccine, including some coworkers, have since reached out to tell her how much she inspired them.

"The vaccine is safe. What is not safe is contracting COVID-19," she said. "So that was my reason, and I hope that just continues to resonate with people."

Sweeping new restrictions came into force across South Africa on Tuesday morning, as the country looks to curb a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections ahead of the holidays.

All post-funeral gatherings are now prohibited nationwide. All other gatherings, including for religious purposes, are limited to a maximum of 100 people for indoor events and 250 people for outdoor events. The total number of people in a venue must not exceed 50% capacity.

A national curfew has been extended and will now be from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. The curfew will remain in full effect over the holidays. Bars and restaurants across the country must close by 10 p.m. so their employees can return home before curfew.

Beaches along the country's eastern coast and public parks in areas with the highest number of infections have been shuttered. Live music and performances have also been banned. Meanwhile, alcohol sales are now permitted only between Monday and Thursday at retail stores.

South Africa, which has so far confirmed more than 866,000 total cases of COVID-19, has seen a spike in infections since the beginning of December. The number of reported cases has been recently hovering around 8,000 per day, up from from around 3,000 per day in November.

"Given the rate at which new cases have grown over the last two weeks, there is every possibility that if we do not act urgently ... the second wave will be more severe than the first wave,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a televised address Monday, while announcing the new rules.