Representative Steny H. Hoyer, the Democratic majority leader, tried to get a stand-alone bill approved that would have provided $2,000 payments to Americans. Republicans rejected the move even though President Trump had proposed it.

Hundreds of dollars in direct payments may start going to American households as soon as next week after Congress overwhelmingly passed a $900 billion stimulus package.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, said on Sunday evening the stimulus package would include direct payments for Americans.

France's president, Emmanuel Macron, met with Prime Minister António Costa of Portugal just before it was announced that Mr. Macron tested positive for coronavirus.

This week, nursing home residents across the U.S became some of the first patients to receive the new coronavirus vaccine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would stand by a plan to ease restrictions on gatherings between Dec. 23 and 27, despite rising coronavirus cases.

On Tuesday, Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, recognized Joseph R. Biden Jr. as the president-elect and Senator Kamala Harris of California as vice president-elect.

Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County's public health director, said stress on the county's already strained healthcare system would rise if winter holidays lead to another spike in coronavirus cases.

Congress is still divided over a stimulus deal, but on Friday senators voted to stave off a shutdown with a one-week stopgap bill.

Gov. Ralph Northam said Virginia will institute a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m., limit gatherings to 10 or fewer people, and strengthen mask requirements in an effort to combat spiking coronavirus cases.