Covid-19 Update: Vaccinations In The US, UK To Begin Next Week, Biden Urges People To Wear Masks

Vaccinations in the US likely to begin from Friday while inoculations in Russia are also in the process to rein the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

(Representative Image/Getty)

Even as the coronavirus cases in the US has witnessed a spurt ahead of the festive season, the good news is that the vaccination in the country could begin as early as Friday. The Food and Drug Administration is set to vote on emergency-use authorization for the Pfizer Inc/ BioNtech SE shot the day before, according to an FDA adviser. Also Read: Pfizer Seeks Emergency Approval For Its Covid-19 Vaccine In India, UK To Begin Vaccinating From Dec 8 As per the report in Bloomberg, vaccinations in the US and UK are set to start in the coming week, while inoculations in Russia are also in the process to rein the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In the US, California has set a new record for infections and more than half the state is currently facing new restrictions, while New York City’s outbreak continued to worsen. As fatalities are increasing, the United States on Saturday set a new record number of coronavirus cases in a span of hours, with 230,000 new infections, as per the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University on Sunday. President-elect Joe Biden has urged the people in the US to wear a mask. In a tweet, Biden wrote, our country is in the middle of a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases. Please wear a mask, keep social distancing, and limit the size of any groups. It’s our patriotic duty as Americans.

Joe Biden to ask Americans to wear masks for 100 days

Earlier this week, Biden said he will ask Americans to commit to 100 days of wearing masks as one of his first acts as president, in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The views mark a notable shift from President Donald Trump, who has courted controversies related to wearing masks many a time and led to the politicization of this issue. This has in some ways made many wary about following the practice that public health experts believe is one of the easiest ways to manage the pandemic. Meanwhile, the UK aims to begin inoculations during the week of December 14, as authorities globally take on the next stage to battle the pandemic. Moscow began jabs on Saturday. South Korea is considering stricter social-distancing measures, including a ban on gatherings at high-risk venues such as karaoke bars.