Dr. Anthony Fauci is urging Americans to take whatever vaccine is available.
“The quicker you get vaccinated, the more quickly you will be protected, and you will add on to the overall protection in your county, in your country,” Dr. Fauci said.
But some experts do say we’re still a way’s away from normalcy.
“We’re not able to vaccinate 80% of the country quite yet. And so by April, we’ll still be a ways off,” Dr. Imran Ali said.
But many Americans are ready to get back to normal. Reports out of Miami show a rising number of tourists gathering for spring break.
What to know about coronavirus:
Tracking COVID-19 availability and progress in NYC
New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
Find out if you are eligible and where you can go to get your vaccine
Coronavirus by zip code – New York City
Do you have coronavirus symptoms?
Here are more of today’s headlines:
Essential workers in NJ can get COVID vaccine starting March 15
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says vaccine eligibility for essential workers, including educators and child care workers, will begin on March 15. Murphy will discuss further at his 1 p.m. news conference.
First COVID case in NY anniversary
Monday marks the one-year anniversary of the first coronavirus case confirmed in New York, and it comes as the first doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine are shipped out. The first coronavirus victim identified in New York was a 39-year-old woman who tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from Iran.
US panel endorses 3rd vaccine option from J&J
A U.S. advisory panel has endorsed the new one-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson as a third option to bolster the national effort against the coronavirus pandemic.
Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted overwhelmingly to recommend the vaccine for adults 18 years old and up. The ruling followed emergency clearance of the vaccine by U.S. regulators a day earlier.
Members of the group emphasized that all three vaccines now available in the U.S. are highly protective against the worst effects of the virus, including hospitalization and death.
Fraud overwhelms pandemic-related unemployment programs
With the floodgates set to open on another round of unemployment aid, states are being hammered with a new wave of fraud as they scramble to update security systems and block scammers who already have siphoned billions of dollars from pandemic-related jobless programs.
The fraud is fleecing taxpayers, delaying legitimate payments and turning thousands of Americans into unwitting identity theft victims. Many states have failed to adequately safeguard their systems, and a review by The Associated Press finds that some will not even publicly acknowledge the extent of the problem.
The massive sham springs from prior identity theft from banks, credit rating agencies, health care systems and retailers. Fraud perpetrators, sometimes in China, Nigeria or Russia, buy stolen personal identifying information on the dark web and use it to flood state unemployment systems with bogus claims.
Turkish vaccine teams target isolated villages
Traveling across roads covered with ice and snow, vaccination teams have been going to Turkey’s isolated mountain villages as the government seeks to inoculate 60% of the country’s people against coronavirus over the next three months. After much effort, medical workers arrived Friday to vaccinate older villagers in Gumuslu, a small settlement of 350 in the central province of Sivas that lies 140 miles (230 kilometers) from the provincial capital.
Laura Curran quarantining
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran is quarantining due to exposure to a positive COVID-19 case. County Spokeswoman Christine Geed said the County Executive is feeling well and has received a negative test result.
What’s in the COVID relief bill?
The House passed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package early Saturday, 219-212, that includes $1,400 checks for most Americans and billions of dollars for schools, state and local governments and businesses. Republicans are overwhelmingly against the bill, raising concerns that the spending is vastly more than necessary and designed to advance policy priorities that go beyond helping Americans get through the pandemic. Democrats and President Joe Biden counter that a robust aid package is necessary to prevent a long and painful recovery from the pandemic.
When did you realize the COVID pandemic changed everything?
Many of us had a moment, most often occurring in March 2020, when we realized that COVID-19 had completely changed our lives forever. Even though we’ve managed to move forward and adapt to a new normal, that memory still sticks with us. Tell us: What was that moment to you?
Top 7 COVID vaccine questions answered
You had questions about COVID-19 vaccines and 7 On Your Side is getting you answers from doctors on the front line of the pandemic.
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE
Positive COVID-19 cases by zip code – New York City
New York City COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
Find out if you are eligible and where you can go to get your vaccine
Do you have coronavirus symptoms?
Where to get tested in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
WATCH: Eyewitness to a Pandemic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus
Submit a News Tip or Question
Copyright © 2021 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.