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

Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt has tested positive for COVID-19. The department spokesman, Nicholas Goodwin, confirmed the news Wednesday, after an inquiry from The Washington Post.

Bernhardt received his test results prior to President Donald Trump's Cabinet meeting Wednesday and did not attend the session.

"He is currently asymptomatic and will continue to work on behalf of the American people while in quarantine," Goodwin said in an email.

As a result of Bernhardt's diagnosis, various high-ranking department officials who were in close contact with him this week are now getting tested.

He is the third top official at the department known to have tested positive for the virus since November. Interior's top attorney, Daniel Jorjani, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aurelia Skipwith also tested positive.

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., said Wednesday night that he tested positive for COVID-19, after voting on the House floor earlier in the day.

Wilson, who is known for shouting "You lie" at President Barack Obama during his 2009 health care address to Congress, said he will be taking "all necessary precautions" and quarantine through Christmas.

"Thankfully I feel fine and do not have any symptoms. It is so important that we all do our part to help prevent the spread of this virus," Wilson said in a statement.

Wilson's office has not responded to questions about whether any members or staff are quarantining as a result of close contact with the congressman, or if he knew of his result before voting on the House floor.

Approximately 37 members of Congress, the majority of whom are Republicans, have tested positive or presumed positive for COVID-19, according to an ABC News tally.

-ABC News' Ben Siegel

The U.S. recorded 3,400 new coronavirus =-related deaths Wednesday, a new daily record, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

This comes one week after the U.S. recorded its first day with 3,000 deaths.

"The new 7-day average for deaths in the South is at an all-time high. The region reported 1,053 deaths today, a new single-day record," the tracking project tweeted.

Hospitalizations also reached a new record-high Wednesday, with 113,069 Americans hospitalized with the virus, according to the health data.

"The 7-day average for deaths is rising in 23 states across the US. There are 16 states reporting higher per-million deaths than the summer peak in AZ," the tracking project tweeted.

The seven-day average of deaths, 2,507, and seven-day average of hospitalizations 109,945, were also record-highs, the tracking project said.

The Food and Drug Administration said it's looking into an incident in Alaska where a Pfizer vaccine recipient had an anaphylactic reaction shortly after it was administered to them.

"The agency will continue to work with CDC and Pfizer to better understand what occurred," the FDA tweeted.

The agency added that Pfizer and all vaccination providers must report all serious adverse effects of the vaccine to the federal government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

"The vaccination provider fact sheet notes: severe allergic reactions have been reported following vaccination & appropriate medical treatment used to manage immediate allergic reactions must be immediately available for administration in event of any acute anaphylactic reaction," the FDA tweeted.