As those efforts ramp up, nearly half the country is rolling back pandemic restrictions.
In Los Angeles County, restaurants can again welcome customers indoors, and movie theaters and fitness centers are able to reopen, all at limited capacity.
But doctors are warning about a potential spike in cases and undoing much of the progress made, with states like Florida and Georgia seeing a surge of spring breakers.
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Here are more of today's headlines:
How our daily language has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic
Major events often add to our collective vocabulary, but most of those events are short lived. That has not been the case with the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, this is the longest major event in the lifetime of everyone in the world--unless that person is well over 100 years old and can remember the 1918 flu pandemic.
Shakespeare in the Park returning this summer
Shakespeare in the Park is returning this summer following a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the free outdoor series returning to the Public Theater's Delacorte Theater in Central Park in July. The company will stage "Merry Wives," a 12-actor, intermission-free version of "The Merry Wives of Windsor," adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali. It will have an eight-week run starting on July 6, rather than the usual two-play season starting in May. As of now, the 2,000 seat Delacorte Theater can only admit 500 people, if they are tested.
Newark Airport workers getting vaccinated as NJ expands eligibility
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and other officials visited a vaccination site Tuesday for newly eligible workers from Newark Liberty International Airport, one day after the state expanded who can get the COVID-19 shot. As of Monday, transportation workers, members of tribal communities, the homeless, migrant farm workers and childcare workers were eligible. Murphy had also set Monday as the eligibility date for teachers and other school staff, but they got bumped up to earlier in March because of guidance from the Biden administration.
NYC pushes to keep vaccinating 24/7 at many centers, says mask mandate will stay in place
New York City will continue running its 24/7 vaccination sites, despite the state ending overnight vaccinations at the Javits Center last week. The state was offering Johnson & Johnson shots overnight at the Javits Center when there was supply. Supply decreased, and the site is back to its normal hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The state expects to get more of the J&J vaccine by the end of the month.
"We have a couple of different things we have to achieve simultaneously. We've got to get the vaccines out to all communities, particularly the communities hardest hit. We've got to get the most grassroots," Mayor de Blasio said. "But the bottom line is the supply problem. If we had the supply, we'd be running a lot of places 24/7.
Debt collectors can seize the new stimulus checks
The latest round of stimulus payments that started going out over the weekend are open to being seized by private debt collectors -- a problem lawmakers are rushing to fix. Recipients with unpaid credit card or medical bills for which a company has obtained a judgment against the debtor could see the fresh infusion taken from their bank accounts, potentially preventing those in need from getting the emergency cash. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, plans to introduce a fix that would shield the payments from garnishment as early this week, according to a spokeswoman. But for now, it's possible collectors could seize the money, worth up to $1,400 per person, that the federal government is directly depositing into people's bank accounts.
Moderna to test COVID-19 vaccine on young children, babies
Moderna announced Tuesday it is beginning a study of its COVID-19 vaccine in children younger than 12 - one that will include babies as young as 6 months. The announcement comes exactly a year after the first adult received a test dose of the shot, created at the National Institutes of Health. It's now being used across the U.S. and in multiple other countries. Moderna also has tested the vaccine in 12- to 17-year-olds but hasn't yet released the findings. The study in younger children will be more complex, because researchers need to determine whether to use smaller doses than in adults and adolescents. The study aims to eventually enroll about 6,750 children in the U.S. and Canada. That's after a phase-in portion to determine the best dose to test in children age 2 and older and the right dose in those younger than 2.
COVID-19 stimulus package could affect 2020 taxes
As welcome as the American Rescue Plan is for many people, the fact that it was signed into law in the middle of tax filing season raises a number of questions. That's because some provisions may affect how you should prepare your 2020 tax return, including calculating the size of your refund. And nearly 56 million people have already filed as of March 5.
When did you realize the COVID pandemic changed everything?
Many of us had a moment, most often occurring in March 2020, when we realized that COVID-19 had completely changed our lives forever. Even though we've managed to move forward and adapt to a new normal, that memory still sticks with us. Tell us: What was that moment to you?
Top 7 COVID vaccine questions answered
You had questions about COVID-19 vaccines and 7 On Your Side is getting you answers from doctors on the front line of the pandemic.
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