Those groups would cover teachers and critical workers in high-risk settings.
A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 75.5 million people worldwide and killed over 1.6 million of them, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Hard-hit California reported 41,012 daily cases on Friday.
On Wednesday, the Golden State reported a record high of 53,711 daily cases.
With 300 more deaths reported Friday, California’s death toll stands at 22,160.
ABC News’ Matt Fuhrman contributed to this report.
The Washington Monument is temporarily closed, the Interior Department said, after several staff members were put in quarantine following contact with Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Bernhardt led a private Washington Monument tour earlier in the week.
The monument will reopen on Dec. 21, the Interior Department said.
ABC News’ Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.
The London Science Museum will display the vial and syringe that was used for the United Kingdom’s first Pfizer vaccination.
The first vaccine was administered on Dec. 8 to 90-year-old grandmother Margaret Keenan.
“The empty vial and syringe from Margaret’s historic immunisation will now join the Science Museum Group Collection, a highlight of our significant COVID-19 Collecting project,” the Science Museum Group said.
ABC News’ Zoe Magee contributed to this report.
The U.S. has set new weekly records for number of deaths, cases and hospitalizations, according to ABC News’ analysis of data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project.
With the U.S. is now averaging 2,560 new coronavirus-related deaths a day, more Americans are dying from COVID-19 than ever before.
Since Sunday, 19 states have reported a record number of patients hospitalized.
The U.S. is averaging 214,741 cases every day -- a record high. That is three times higher than the nation’s summer peak in July and nearly seven times higher than the country's record in April.
ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.
