The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was to begin leaving the company's Michigan factory on Sunday, ready to be injected into the arms of millions of the most vulnerable Americans as the global death toll topped 1.6 million.

Doses will be shipped out in boxes containing dry ice that are capable of staying at -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit), the frigid temperature needed to preserve the drug.

A woman walks past a costume rental store, with Santa Claus outfits outside, on December 10, 2020 in Paris as France is on a second lockdown in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus
A woman walks past a costume rental store, with Santa Claus outfits outside, on December 10, 2020 in Paris as France is on a second lockdown in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus AFP / JOEL SAGET

General Gus Perna, who is overseeing the massive logistical operation as part of the government's Operation Warp Speed, likened the moment to D-Day, a turning point of World War II.

"I am absolutely 100 percent confident that we are going to distribute safely, this precious commodity, this vaccine, needed to defeat the enemy Covid," he told reporters.

World map showing the number of Covid-19 deaths by country, as of November 13 at 1100 GMT
World map showing the number of Covid-19 deaths by country, as of November 13 at 1100 GMT AFP / Simon MALFATTO

The imminent start of the mass vaccination campaign in the world's hardest-hit country came as Germany announced a partial lockdown from Wednesday with non-essential shops and schools to close in a bid to halt an "exponential growth" in coronavirus infections.

The restrictions will apply until January 10, with companies also urged to allow employees to work from home or offer extended company holidays, under the new measures agreed by Chancellor Angela Merkel with regional leaders of Germany's 16 states on Sunday.

Back in business: Lewis Hamilton will race in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Back in business: Lewis Hamilton will race in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix POOL / Giuseppe CACACE

Germany last week recorded new daily death tolls reaching close to 600 and as disease control agency RKI reported that the infections trend has taken a worrying turn.

Italy meanwhile overtook Britain as the European nation with the highest coronavirus death toll.

"I am worried about the two weeks of Christmas holidays. We are up against a dramatic pandemic which is ongoing -- the battle still has not been won," Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza warned as the country recorded 64,036 deaths, surpassing Britain's 64,026.

The vote by independent experts convened by the US Food and Drug Administration to recommend granting emergency approval for Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine came as the country logged more than 3,000 virus deaths in one day
The vote by independent experts convened by the US Food and Drug Administration to recommend granting emergency approval for Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine came as the country logged more than 3,000 virus deaths in one day AFP / Angela Weiss

Regional affairs minister Francesco Boccia said that unless people adopted a careful approach, "the risk of a third wave is almost certain."

As fatalities worldwide passed 1.6 million, infections in the United States were soaring, with 1.1 million new cases confirmed in the past five days and the death toll nearing 300,000.

Gift baskets containing toilet paper are displayed inside a restaurant trying to adapt and attract more customers during the coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders in Los Angeles, California
Gift baskets containing toilet paper are displayed inside a restaurant trying to adapt and attract more customers during the coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders in Los Angeles, California AFP / VALERIE MACON

Over the past two weeks, the US has repeatedly exceeded 2,000 Covid-related deaths per day, rivaling tolls from the early days of the pandemic.

Perna said hundreds of sites, including hospitals and other distribution centers, would receive the vaccines from Monday to Wednesday, which would cover the first wave of about three million people to be vaccinated.

US experts vote to recommend granting emergency approval for Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine, paving the way for America to become the next country to move ahead with mass immunization as the country's virus death toll approaches 300,000.The US gove
US experts vote to recommend granting emergency approval for Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine, paving the way for America to become the next country to move ahead with mass immunization as the country's virus death toll approaches 300,000.The US government's top infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci also comments on the vaccine recommendation, saying "they are safe and they are highly effective, and those decisions were made by independent bodies without any political or other influence,". AFPTV / Agnes BUN

Federal health authorities have recommended that healthcare workers and nursing home residents be at the front of the line, but the final decisions have been left to states.

The US is seeking to inoculate 20 million people this month alone.

Elsewhere, South Korea on Sunday reported 1,030 new coronavirus cases, a record high for a second day in a row as the country struggled to tackle a third wave of infections.

Seoul had previously been held up as a model of how to combat the pandemic, but the resurgence prompted President Moon Jae-in to apologize for the failure to contain the virus.

The US became the sixth country to green-light the Pfizer vaccine on Friday night, after Britain, Bahrain, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

It was a triumphant moment for the American giant and its German partner BioNTech, who began work on their product, based on experimental mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) technology, just 11 months ago.

The vaccine has been shown in a clinical trial of 44,000 people to be 95 percent effective, and no serious safety concerns have been identified.

But after two healthcare workers in Britain suffered severe allergic reactions, the US regulator has advised people who have known allergies to the vaccine's ingredients to avoid getting it.

Food and Drug Administration scientist Peter Marks voiced support for Pfizer's plan to allow people involved in the clinical trial to find out whether they had received the vaccine or placebo.

Under this proposal, if they received the placebo, they can request the vaccine when their demographic group's turn comes up.

But Marks said: "We have to balance the amount of blinded data that we receive with the need to protect people from a pandemic that's taking thousands of lives daily."

Coronavirus