California Gov. Gavin Newsom holds up a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week at a Los Angeles medical facility. Coronavirus cases continue to soar in the state as hospitals struggle to keep up with the surge. Jae C. Hong/AP hide caption
Instead of going to college this fall, Brian Williams got a job at a Jimmy John's near his home in Stafford, Texas. He says paying for college was always going to be hard, but it was even harder to justify the expense during a pandemic. Scott Dalton for NPR hide caption
French President Emmanuel Macron will isolate himself for seven days after testing positive for the coronavirus. Yoan Valat/AP hide caption
A member of the National Guard assisting at a COVID-19 mobile testing location looks out of a tent used for drive-thru tests earlier this month in Auburn, Maine. Robert F. Bukaty/AP hide caption
Despite recent outbreaks that forced temporary closures, the Bruneau-Grandview school board in Idaho voted down a mask mandate in November. Kirk Siegler/NPR hide caption
Dr. Lawanda Jim, Chair of Internal Medicine, receives a COVID-19 vaccine at Northern Navajo Medical Center on Tuesday in Shiprock, N.M. Micah Garen/Getty Images hide caption
The U.S. Capitol has been hit by the coronavirus like the rest of the country, grappling with protective measures and multiple cases. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
A health care worker prepares COVID-19 vaccine doses at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Wednesday in Portland, Ore. Hospitals across the U.S. began getting their first doses of Pfizer's vaccine this week. Nathan Howard/Getty Images hide caption
Cleavon Gilman, an emergency room physician and former combat medic, says three colleagues have died from the coronavirus. "You can actually die at your job now, and that's never really been an issue before," he says. Cleavon Gilman hide caption
Cornwall's Tavern's owners Pam and John Beale are in survival mode. They're thinking a short-term pause in business, as COVID-19 infections surge, could allow them to reopen strong next year. Tovia Smith/NPR hide caption
Hospitalizations and deaths from the coronavirus continue to increase this month, with the number of Americans who died in a single day from the illness surpassing 3,600. Jae C. Hong/AP hide caption
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Thursday that the government will purchase two new COVID-19 vaccines from pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Novavax. The advance purchase gives every New Zealander the ability to be able to be vaccinated. Phil Walter/Getty Images hide caption
Health care workers have been throwing out the excess vaccine, fearing it would be against FDA rules to use it. Rogelio V. Solis/AP hide caption
Twitter says it will work with global health experts to enforce new rules prohibiting conspiracy-based misinformation about the coronavirus. NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption
Dr. Joseph Varon prepares to enter the COVID-19 unit at Houston's United Memorial Medical Center in May. With him are nurses Tanna Ingraham (left) and Jerusha Harshman (right). Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images hide caption
Tyson Foods has fired seven managers at its plant in Waterloo, Iowa, who were allegedly involved in a betting pool guessing how many workers there would get COVID-19. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption
Shoppers walk through Macy's in New York on Black Friday last month. Retail sales declined 1.1% in November, according to the Commerce Department. Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
An American flag with an image of a Native American on it in To'Hajiilee Indian Reservation in New Mexico. In California, a vaccine allocation committee is considering taking historical injustice into account in advance of a statewide rollout. Sam Wasson/Getty Images hide caption
Nurse Melissa Valentin applies the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a health worker at the Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Tuesday. The vaccine was granted emergency use authorization last week. Carlos Giusti/AP hide caption
President-elect Joe Biden speaks about the Electoral College vote certification process on Monday in Wilmington, Del. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption
President-elect Joe Biden, here on Monday, says he plans to get vaccinated publicly for the coronavirus. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption
A doctor receives Chicago's first COVID-19 vaccination on Tuesday. In a new poll released the same day, respondents appeared to show less reluctance to receiving a coronavirus vaccine. Jose M. Osorio-Pool/Getty Images hide caption
