Live coverage here has ended, please click here for NBC News' latest coverage of Covid-19.
As vaccine rollouts continue across the United States and other economically advanced nations, health leaders are sounding the alarm for the developing world, which could have to wait months or years for enough shots to achieve herd immunity.
The U.S. death toll has now passed 300,000, while more than 200,000 infections have been recorded in one day.
- Map of U.S. hot spots and worldwide Covid-19 cases.
- Tracking surges in states across the country this winter.
- Map of travel restrictions and which states have a mask mandate.
- Click here for more of NBC News' Covid-19 coverage.
France's Macron tests positive for coronavirus
French President Emmanuel Macron became the latest world leader to contract coronavirus Thursday, as countries across Europe struggle to suppress a spike in infections in the run-up to Christmas.
The Élysée Palace, Macron's official residence, confirmed the news in a statement that said he was tested as soon as his symptoms appeared. All his planned trips have been cancelled, including a trip to Lebanon.
U.S. sees deadliest day of pandemic yet with nearly 3,300 deaths
The U.S. on Wednesday saw its highest numbers yet of the pandemic, setting records for both the number of new cases and deaths.
Across the nation, 232,086 Covid-19 cases were reported, with 3,293 deaths, according to NBC News' count.
The previous single-day records for both reported cases and reported deaths was Dec. 10, which was last week.
By Thursday morning, the number of cases in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic passed 17 million, according to NBC News' count. More than 308,000 people have died.
Interior Secretary Bernhardt tests positive
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Wednesday tested positive for Covid-19, a spokesman for the department said.
Bernhardt is currently asymptomatic, spokesman Nicholas Goodwin said, adding that Bernhardt "will continue to work on behalf of the American people while in quarantine."
The Washington Post first reported that Bernhardt tested positive. The newspaper reported that Bernhardt was tested for the coronavirus before President Donald Trump held a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, and that Bernhardt did not attend that meeting.
Cash-strapped ambulance services to receive federal aid
Private ambulance companies will finally receive a sizable sum of federal aid after riding along the edge of a fiscal cliff since the beginning of the pandemic, putting the nation's ability to respond to 911 calls at risk.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday that it would provide $24.5 billion to more than 70,000 health care providers nationwide, including $1.48 billion for cash-strapped ambulance services as the nation faces another surge in coronavirus cases.
The HHS funding comes mere weeks after NBC News first reported that the American Ambulance Association sent a letter to HHS warning “the 911 emergency medical system throughout the United States is at a breaking point. Without additional relief, it seems likely to break, even as we enter the third surge of the virus in the Mid-West and the West.”
Pence to publicly receive Covid vaccine on Friday, Biden as soon as next week
Vice President Mike Pence will publicly receive a Covid-19 vaccine on Friday while President-elect Joe Biden is expected to get a shot as soon as next week.
Pence, who is the head of the White House coronavirus task force, is hoping to "promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and build confidence among the American people," the White House said in a statement on Wednesday.
His wife, Karen Pence, and Surgeon General Jerome Adams will receive the vaccine at Friday's event, set to take place at the White House.
Biden meanwhile is expected to receive the vaccine as soon as next week, a transition official tells NBC News.
“I don’t want to get ahead of the line, but I want to make sure we demonstrate to the American people that it is safe to take,” Biden told reporters earlier Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware. “When I do it, I’ll do it publicly so you can all witness my getting it done.”
Los Angeles County reports staggering 22,000 new cases
Los Angeles County public health officials announced a staggering 22,422 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, nearly doubling the number of confirmed cases reported the previous day and accounting for almost half of the state's new cases.
Public health officials begged residents to follow the county's guidelines, including not gathering with people outside their household even during the holiday season.
"Every hour, on average, 2 people are dying of COVID-19 in LA County. These are our neighbors, friends, and family members," the county's health department tweeted. "Our actions today can prevent more suffering. Cancel your holiday plans. Protect each other."
Earlier in the day, state public health officials announced 54,000 new coronavirus cases across California. Worsening numbers in the San Francisco Bay Area and a shortage of beds in intensive care units triggered a stay-at-home order for many Northern California counties.
Outbreak sickens staffers at county health department in Arizona
A county health official in Arizona tested positive for Covid-19 after an apparent outbreak within the department.
Dr. Theresa Cullen, the health director for Pima County, tested positive on Tuesday, the county announced Wednesday. The apparent outbreak infected 11 employees, it said, adding that all staff members who work at the main building were being offered testing and would work remotely while the location was being cleaned.
“This just goes to prove that when there is substantial community spread of the virus like we’re experiencing now throughout the County, the virus can get into your homes and places of work any number of ways no matter how vigilant you are being with your precautions,” said County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia in a news release.
Protesters held a demonstration at the health department last Thursday over its Covid-19 measures. Many of the participants were not wearing masks and came in close contact with staff members, the department said.
Contact tracers have not determined the source of the outbreak, and the county said at least one health department employee had tested positive before the protest.
Roughly 300 Pima County employees have contacted Covid-19 since February, and more than 60 of those cases have occurred in just the past two weeks, according to Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry. More than 8,000 Pima County residents have tested positive for the virus in the past week, according to county testing data.
Tyson fires 7 managers at Iowa plant after virus betting investigation
Tyson Foods terminated seven managers from an Iowa pork plant following an independent investigation into allegations that they wagered on how many workers would get infected with Covid-19, the meat processing giant announced Wednesday.
All of those fired worked at the plant in Waterloo, Iowa.
The wagering allegations stem from a wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of deceased Tyson Foods Inc. employee Isidro Fernandez. It stated that management did not do enough to protect employees while Covid-19 rapidly spread through the plant in early April.
According to the suit, 1,000 of 2,800 employees at the Waterloo plant were infected.
