Coronavirus Watch: More death projected if rich countries hoard COVID-19 vaccines

Once we finally get a COVID-19 vaccine, what will happen if rich countries monopolize it instead of distributing it equally?

Researchers say that could cause twice as many deaths, according to models by Northeastern University's MOBS Lab. The models found 61% of deaths could be averted if the vaccine was distributed to all countries proportional to population, while only 33% of deaths would be averted if high-income countries got the vaccines first.

"When countries cooperate, the number of deaths is cut in half," said Matteo Chinazzi, senior research scientist.

It's Tuesday, and this is the Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here is the most significant news of the day, as of 1:45 p.m. ET:

• Lockdowns work: Mandated stay-at-home measures contributed to a roughly 70% reduction in the transmission of COVID-19 in New York City during the spring pandemic wave from March to June, according to scientists at Columbia University and the city’s public health department.
• Vaccine timeline? President Donald Trump said Tuesday on Fox & Friends that a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready "in a matter of weeks." Meanwhile, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CBS News the company will know if its candidate vaccine works by the end of October.
• China's timeline: An official with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said four COVID-19 vaccines in the final stage of clinical trials could be ready for the general public in November or December, according to Reuters.
• Disneyland and Universal Studios are asking California Gov. Gavin Newsom to allow theme parks in the state to reopen after shutting down for six months due to the pandemic.
• The Trump administration has not yet repaid the United States Postal Service more than six months after the agency sent out COVID-19 guidelines on postcards prominently featuring the president’s name. Paste BN reported earlier this year the total cost of printing and mailing the postcards was $28 million, with a total printing cost of $4.6 million, and the Trump administration was negotiating the reimbursement with the Postal Service.

Today's numbers: New case records were set in North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming, according to a Paste BN analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Monday. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee and Guam. The U.S. has reported more than 6.5 million cases and more than 195,000 deaths. Globally, there have been more than 29 million cases and about 930,000 fatalities. See the numbers in your area here, and check out where cases are rising here.

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– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck