VIRUS TODAY: Holiday party defiance, mask wearing in 2021

Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.: The U.S. is averaging 172,000 new cases per day over the last week and 1,529 deaths

VIRUS TODAY: Holiday party defiance, mask wearing in 2021By The Associated PressThe Associated Press

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

— The promising advances with vaccine development do not mean that people can stop wearing masks and socially distancing anytime soon. That’s because it will take months for the vaccine to roll out and reach a sizable percentage of the population needed to accomplish herd immunity.

— The cascade of business restrictions shutting down indoor dining and drinking establishments is being felt by restaurant workers who are losing their jobs — again — just as the holiday season approaches.

— Holiday celebrations are moving forward at the White House despite the pandemic. The delivery of an 18-foot Christmas tree, the ceremonial presidential turkey pardon and a series of festivities and parties are all happening, even as health officials warn about the risk associated with holiday gatherings.

THE NUMBERS: The U.S. is averaging 172,000 new cases per day over the last week and 1,529 deaths. A record of nearly 86,000 people are hospitalized with the virus.

QUOTABLE: “No one is going to tell me what I can or not do in my own home. They do not pay my bills and they are not going to tell me what to do.” — Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, resident Barb Chestnut on her plans to avoid Thanksgiving gathering restrictions.

ICYMI: More people are realizing that they have difficulty hearing during the pandemic. The reason: They weren’t aware they had hearing troubles and how much they were relying on lip reading and facial expressions until people around them started wearing masks.

ON THE HORIZON: Los Angeles County supervisors are meeting Tuesday to decide how to respond to an alarming surge in cases in the nation’s second-largest city. They are considering a stay-home order.

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Find AP’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic