The first vaccines in the U.S.
The first shots were given in the American mass vaccination campaign on Monday morning, opening a new chapter in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more people in the U.S. than in any other country.
“I believe this is the weapon that will end the war,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York said at a rollout event, shortly before the Pfizer shot was given to Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse. Hundreds of sites were receiving vaccine shipments, with health care workers first in line. President Trump delayed plans for White House staff members to get early vaccines.
Grim milestone: The coronavirus death toll in the U.S. passed 300,000 on Monday — the same day as the start of the vaccinations. Over the past week, there has been an average of 210,112 new cases per day, an increase of 30 percent from the average two weeks earlier.
On Monday, Singapore became the first Asian country to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, announcing that the first shipment would arrive this month and be given free to Singaporeans and long-term residents.
Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.
In other developments:

■ South Korean officials ordered schools in the Seoul metropolitan area to move all classes online starting Tuesday until at least the end of the year, hoping to stem the country’s largest outbreak yet.
A passenger hugged a family member upon arrival from New Zealand at Sydney International Airport in Australia in October. David Gray/AFP — Getty Images
Australia and New Zealand could start travel bubble soon
The New Zealand government intends to establish a travel bubble with Australia in the first quarter of next year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday.
The arrangement would allow people to travel freely between Australia and New Zealand without quarantining for two weeks on arrival. Passengers arriving from New Zealand are already exempt from quarantine requirements in Australia.
Ms. Ardern said the travel bubble was “pending confirmation” from Australian officials, and would be contingent on “no significant changes in the circumstances of either country.”
Context: New Zealand has avoided the worst of the pandemic compared with other countries, with 2,096 cases and 25 lives lost, according to a New York Times database. In Australia, 28,031 people have tested positive for the virus, while 908 have died.
The New York Times