Drugmaker Moderna says it has shipped its first batch of a possible coronavirus vaccine for humans to government researchers for testing.
Shares of the biotech company are soaring Tuesday, a day after the company said it sent vials to an arm of the National Institutes of Health for early-stage testing in the United States. The Associated Press reports that shares of the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company jumped almost 16%. The company's stock started trading late 2018.
More than 80,000 people have been infected globally from the viral outbreak that began late last year in China. The virus, now called COVID-19, has killed more than 2,700 people globally.
South Korea has the second largest amount of cases, with 977 reported. Health workers continue to find batches in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby areas, where panic has brought towns to an eerie standstill.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says new measures like companies letting their employees work from home and hospitals expanding their capacity to treat many patients will determine if Japan could control its coronavirus outbreak. Abe said slowing down the pace of new infections was crucial to stopping the spread of the disease. Japan has confirmed 850 cases, third-highest among nations.
In the U.S., 12 travel related cases and 39 cases among persons repatriated to the United States have been recorded, according to the CDC. President Trump said Tuesday the situation is “very well under control in our country.” At the same time, his administration has asked Congress for an additional $2.5 billion for preparations in case of a widespread outbreak. Trump addressed the issue at a news conference in New Delhi following meetings with India's prime minister. Trump says the U.S. has “very few people” with coronavirus.