Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech on Friday became the first companies to seek emergency authorization for a coronavirus vaccine in the United States, a landmark moment and a signal that a powerful tool to help control the pandemic could begin to be available by late December.

Conditions around the country remain dire: The United States reported a record high of more than 196,000 new coronavirus cases on Friday and is likely to cross 12 million cases nationwide on Saturday, six days after surpassing 11 million.

Florida’s health department confirmed an increase of 8,410 COVID-19 cases on Friday, and the state also reported 41 more resident deaths.

Deaths confirmed in the past 24 hours in South Florida include seven in Miami-Dade County, three in Broward County, one in Monroe County and one in Palm Beach County.

South Florida makes up 41.7% of all new cases.