US to share 80 million vaccine doses with the world; US infections down in all 50 states: Latest COVID-19 updates

The United States will send at least 80 million doses of coronavirus vaccines overseas by the end of June, President Joe Biden said Monday.

Twenty million doses are from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, Biden said. He previously agreed to share up to 60 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine abroad. AstraZenaca's vaccine, unlike the others, has not been authorized for emergency use in the U.S by the Food and Drug Administration.

"We're taking another step to help the world," Biden said. "It's the right thing to do. It's the smart thing to do."

The announcements come as the U.S. and other developed nations face increasing criticism for monopolizing vaccines while the developing world struggles. Demand in the U.S. has stalled in recent weeks, and vaccine "hesitancy" is blamed for a steady decline in jabs.

Biden said Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus coordinator, will lead the global vaccination effort. The U.S. will work with COVAX, a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to coronavirus vaccines.

Also in the news:

Statistics released Tuesday will show that new infections are down in all 50 states, Biden said.

Overnight service on New York City’s subways returned Monday for the first time in more than a year. The system was shut down from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. starting April 30, 2020. The closure was scaled back to 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. in February.

The first foreign visitors have started arriving in Italy after the government lifted a coronavirus quarantine requirement for travelers from the European Union, Britain and Israel. Italy was one of the world's most hardest hit nations and withstood long lockdowns since the pandemic began in early 2020. 

Read More:   USAtoday.com

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