Here's what's happening Friday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:
THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY
— The job market is slowing down as the fall surge in the virus puts severe strain on the economy and health care system. Employers added 245,000 jobs in November, the fewest since the pandemic's dark days of April.
— States have a Friday deadline to place orders for the Pfizer vaccine that is awaiting emergency federal authorization. The orders are meant to pave the way for the distribution of the vaccine to specific locations across the country in the coming weeks.
— Congressional leaders appear to be making progress on securing another virus relief package by the end of the year. The package would boost jobless benefits, give money to state and local governments, schools and businesses, among other interests.
THE NUMBERS: The U.S. has gone over 200,000 new cases the past two days. The U.S. has had more than 14 million cases overall, and is now averaging more than 1,800 deaths a day over the past week.
QUOTABLE: “People were less willing to change their behavior than any other day during the pandemic.” — Laura Schewel, founder of StreetLight Data, said in describing a data analysis of Americans' movement on Thanksgiving.
ICYMI: As hospital systems struggle through the pandemic, some are dealing with another threat: cyberattacks. A Vermont hospital was attacked in October, forcing the facility to produce hand-written laboratory results and rely on fax machines with the internet down.
ON THE HORIZON: The vaccine. Next week will be crucial for the vaccine, including a Thursday meeting by Food and Drug Administration advisers to discuss emergency authorization of the Pfizer vaccine.
