Virus News: Another case record, positive news on vaccine

Here is what’s happening Friday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:

THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY

The development of a vaccine took another step forward Friday when Pfizer asked U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine. It’s a required step and critical milestone for the vaccine to be approved and distributed to people.

The Biden transition team is expressing concern that President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede the election will create obstacles in fighting the pandemic. Dr. Atul Gawande, a member of Joe Biden’s coronavirus task force, said issues surrounding protective equipment supplies, staff shortages and vaccine inventories need to be resolved as soon as possible.

College campuses will soon begin clearing out for the Thanksgiving holiday, including many that are ending the fall semester next week. To keep students from spreading the virus in their hometowns as they leave campus, some schools are requiring or offering virus tests. Schools like Notre Dame require tests and those who don’t do so can’t register for future classes.

THE NUMBERS: The meteoric rise in new COVID-19 infections has shown no signs of slowing down. There were more than 187,000 new cases Thursday — a record high — and the country is averaging more than 165,000 a day over the past week.

DEATH TOLL: The number of people dying from the virus has hit a six-month high, venturing into territory not seen since May when the nation was emerging from the crisis in the Northeast. The average number of Americans dying from the virus each day over the past week is now 1,335, and the overall death toll stands at more than 252,000 based on data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

QUOTABLE: “The employee must regularly lift and/or move over 100 pounds, lift...