Read the latest updates below. (To see the latest updates, you may need to refresh the page. All times are Eastern. For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here .)

Pfizer To Apply For Vaccine Emergency-Use Authorization Within Days 11/18/20, 7 a.m. ET

Pfizer said Wednesday that final results from late-stage trials of the vaccine candidate it developed with BioNTech showed an efficacy rate of 95%. It plans to apply to the Food and Drug Administration within days for emergency-use authorization.

The drugmaker said the efficacy was consistent across age, gender, race and ethnicity dynamics, and over 94% effective in adults over 65 years old. Pfizer said there were no serious safety concerns with the vaccine.

The announcement comes two days after Moderna announced that preliminary data from its vaccine candidate showed 94.5% effectiveness. Dr. Anthony Fauci said, of the Moderna news: Id said I would be satisfied with a 70, 75% efficacy, that something like 95% was really aspirational ... Well, our aspirations have been met, and that is really very good news.

Liza Hearon

NORAD Still Tracking Santa This Year, But With Fewer Volunteers 11/18/20, 5:45 a.m. ET

Despite the pandemic, the North American Aerospace Defense Command will still track Santa Claus progress around the globe as he delivers gifts on Dec. 24 as per tradition.

But instead of around 150 volunteers crowded into a room at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs to field calls from curious children, there will be fewer than 10 people per shift, the AP reported .

We understand this is a time-honored tradition, and we know undoubtedly there is going to be some disappointment, said NORAD spokesman Preston Schlachter. But were trying to keep it safe for everyone involved.

Liza Hearon

FDA OKs 1st Virus Test That Gives Results At Home 11/18/20, 5 a.m. ET

The FDA on Tuesday gave emergency approval to Lucira Healths coronavirus rapid test kit, which can be used entirely at home and delivers results in 30 minutes. The test will require a prescription for use, however.

The approval represents a step forward in expanding testing beyond health care facilities and testing sites, which have delivered slow results in some areas across the country due to laboratory bottlenecks.

The FDA has been very cautious about approving an at-home use test because of concerns over whether people without medical training can properly test themselves and interpret the results. Read more

Liza Hearon

Chuck Grassley Tests Positive For Coronavirus 11/17/20, 6:23 p.m. ET

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has tested positive for the coronavirus , making him the latest congressional lawmaker to be diagnosed with the virus.

Grassley, 87, said on Twitter that he is feeling good and will quarantine at home.

Mollie Reilly

Coronavirus Immunity May Last Years, New Study Suggests 11/17/20, 6:20 p.m. ET

A new study suggests that people who recover from COVID-19 may be protected from the coronavirus for years a much more optimistic possibility than researchers had previously thought.

Although the study has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in an academic journal, The New York Times labeled it the most comprehensive analysis of COVID-19 immunity to date. A group of researchers from Californias La Jolla Institute of Immunology, among other institutions, found that most of the patients studied had enough antibodies in their system to fight off the virus eight months after infection. That slow rate of decline indicates the antibodies may stick around for several years.

Previous research suggested that coronavirus antibodies offer people protection for three to four months after infection.

Sara Boboltz

Ohio And Maryland Enact Curfews To Curb COVID-19 Spread 11/17/20, 3:05 p.m. ET

The governors of Ohio and Maryland announced Tuesday that theyre enforcing a curfew in their states to help curb the spread of COVID-19 without shutting down more businesses.

Both states curfews will start at 10 p.m. and have exceptions for essential workers, emergencies and other common sense situations, as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said people need a wake-up call. This virus has been with us for so long that too many of us have become numb to staggering spiking numbers that are being announced every day, he said.

Lydia OConnor

1 In Every 1,000 North Dakotans Now Dead Of Coronavirus 11/17/20, 1:30 p.m. ET

A new statistic illustrates North Dakotas alarming coronavirus reality: One out of every 1,000 residents across the state has died of coronavirus, as first reported by Bloombergs Steven Dennis.

With a population of around 760,000, according to the Census Bureau, North Dakota is among the least dense states in the country. But the virus has still managed to spread like wildfire, prompting Gov. Doug Burgum (R) to issue a mask mandate for the first time late Friday night. The state has recorded nearly 65,000 cases of the virus, which represents around 8.5% of North Dakotans, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Sara Boboltz

Iowa Gov. Reverses Course On Masks, Now Says Theyre Necessary 11/17/20, 10:10 a.m. ET

Iowas Republican governor, Kim Reynolds, has completely changed her stance on mask use as cases surge across her state. Back in July, she said that she had no intention of requiring masks in public spaces, claiming there was no way to enforce it and that they are just kind of a feel-good tool.

Our health care system is being pushed to the brink, Reynolds said Monday evening , noting that one in four hospitalized patients now has the virus. Everyone in Iowa over age 2 will be required to wear a mask in indoor public spaces beginning Tuesday, and indoor events will be capped at 15 people. The state recorded 83,000 new cases in the last month, with almost 30,000 of those coming in the past week.

If our health care system exceeds capacity, its not just COVID-19 well be fighting. Every Iowan who needs medical care will be put at risk, she explained. If an ambulance is transferring a COVID-19 patient, it may not be available to respond to an accident on a rural county road. If hospital beds are full, a loved one who suffers a heart attack or a stroke may have to be transported miles away to receive life-saving treatment.

Reynolds said her family is postponing Thanksgiving celebrations this year in the name of safety and encouraged others to do the same, adding: No one wants to do this. I dont want to do this.

This isnt about mandates. This isnt about government, she said. If Iowans dont buy into this, well lose.

Sara Boboltz

Sen. Chuck Grassley Says He Has Been Exposed To Coronavirus 11/17/20, 10:05 a.m.

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) said that he has been exposed to the coronavirus and will begin quarantining at his home as he awaits test results. Grassley is 87 years old; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that Americans aged 85 or older face the greatest risk of severe illness from the virus.

In a statement , Grassley said he is feeling well and not currently facing any symptoms.

Jahan Jones

Philadelphia, U.S. States Re-Impose Tough Measures On Virus 11/17/20, 6:30 a.m. ET

The city of Philadephia on Monday ordered a ban on indoor gatherings of any size in any location, except among individuals who live together, from Friday until the new year, in one of the toughest coronavirus restrictions imposed across the country .

While we wont prohibit people from leaving home and interacting, we want to strongly discourage that, because its increasingly unsafe to interact with anyone, said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley. We know thats a very strong policy, but this gets at the most important sites of spread.

As the U.S. surpassed 11 million COVID-19 cases, New Jersey, California and Ohio ordered new restrictions. New Jersey ordered lower limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings while California banned indoor service in bars and restaurants in most counties.

Liza Hearon

Gov. Gavin Newsom Indefinitely Halts Californias Reopening Process 11/16/20, 3:46 p.m. ET

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced an indefinite emergency brake to the states reopening process in response to rising COVID-19 cases.

Starting Tuesday, 28 counties will be rolled back to the most restrictive purple tier, which means most nonessential businesses will be closed, the Democratic governor said during a press conference. Nine more counties will be rolled back the second-most restrictive red tier, meaning some businesses will be allowed to stay open.

The new rollbacks put 94% of Californias population in the most restrictive tier, state officials said. The status of counties now in more restrictive tiers will be assessed daily instead of weekly, and the rules will stay in effect until Californias public health director says that conditions have improved in the state.

The announcement comes amid Californias steepest rise yet in COVID-19 cases. Over the seven-day period ending Sunday, the state averaged 7,985 cases per day, an 89.7% increase from two weeks ago.

We are sounding the alarm, Newsom said in a statement . California is experiencing the fastest increase in cases we have seen yet faster than what we experienced at the outset of the pandemic or even this summer.

Sanjana Karanth

Multiple Members Of Congress Exposed To Coronavirus, One More Tests Positive 11/16/2020, 12:39 p.m. ET

Multiple members of Congress announced they are self-isolating after exposure to the coronavirus.

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) said he tested positive Sunday for the virus. I received news yesterday that I tested positive for COVID-19, Walberg said in a statement. My symptoms are mild and I remain in good spirits. The congressman urged everyone to adhere to public health guidelines and said he will work from home for the foreseeable future.

Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) said they too are in isolation after separately being exposed to people with the coronavirus. According to reports, Pocan learned of his exposure to the virus last Tuesday after driving his mother, who later got a positive test result, to her nursing home.

Fortunately, the nursing home staff contacted me immediately after learning of my mothers positive result and I was able to quarantine without delay, Pocan said in a statement . Unfortunately, too many people in Wisconsin dont get that information in a timely way due to the low number of contract tracers we have hired in Wisconsin.

In a statement, Lesko said she was in contact with someone late last week who has since tested positive for the virus. At this time, I am not experiencing symptoms, she announced, adding that she will begin a 14-day quarantine and conduct business from home.

Jahan Jones

Fauci Applauds Early Data From Moderna, Pfizer Vaccines Showing High Efficacy 11/16/20, 7:30 a.m. ET

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert on the White Houses coronavirus task force, applauded early data from biotechnology company Moderna and pharmaceutical company Pfizer that show their respective coronavirus vaccines are highly effective.

The data are striking, Fauci told NBCs Today about the Moderna data, released earlier Monday. Theyre really quite impressive. ... Now we have two vaccines that are really quite effective. So I think this is a really strong step forward to where we want to be about getting control of this outbreak.

Fauci said he expects the Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency use authorizations for the vaccines. Doses could be available to high-risk individuals by the end of December, he told NBC.