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Forty-four states report increase in coronavirus numbers, lowest number of states in more than a month amid outbreak caused by highly contagious delta variant, according to USA TODAY analysis of university records Johns Hopkins.
Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada and Vermont reported fewer new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending Monday compared to the previous week. Still, Hawaii, Mississippi and Oregon again set new records for the number of cases on Monday, and 38 states again reported an increase in the death toll.
With so much data indicating the pandemic is far from over, health officials in the Biden administration should recommend COVID-19 booster shots for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after receiving their second injection, a source close to the plans confirmed. UNITED STATES TODAY.
The manager spoke to USA TODAY on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak in public. The booster shots will begin as early as mid-September, once the FDA officially approves the vaccines.
Also in the news:
►Alabama’s intensive care units are nearly full amid the upsurge in COVID-19 cases in the state. Alabama Hospital Association chief Dr. Don Williamson calls the situation “the greatest demand we’ve ever had on the critical care system.”
►Roman Catholic Cardinal Raymond Burke, who openly opposed COVID vaccines, is on a ventilator in a Wisconsin hospital with the coronavirus.
►Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has said large indoor venues in cities like Las Vegas and Reno will be allowed to opt out of state mask requirements if they verify their guests are vaccinated.
Today’s numbers: The United States has recorded more than 36.8 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 622,300 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global totals: Over 207.8 million cases and 4.3 million deaths. More than 168.6 million Americans – 50.8% of the population – have been fully immunized, according to the CDC.
What we read: Some of those who have received the J&J vaccine are looking for mRNA boosters. Is it safe to mix? Read more.
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New Zealand under lockdown after new infection
New Zealand’s 5 million people began a strict lockdown on Tuesday that will last for at least three days after a coronavirus case is discovered. Auckland, where the infected man lives, and Coromandel, where he had visited, face at least seven days of lockdown. Schools and almost all workplaces have closed. When people leave their homes, they are encouraged to wear a mask while waiting for a possible mask warrant which could arrive as early as Wednesday. New Zealand has only reported 26 virus deaths since the start of the pandemic.
“We know this strategy is working, we know we are a strong team of 5 million people, and we know life will get easier, we just have to keep going,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
Vaccination mandates scheduled for this week: NYC, New Orleans, San Francisco
New York, the first major city in the country to require at least partial vaccination for indoor activities such as dining and gym use, will begin requiring proof on Tuesday. Mayor Bill de Blasio expanded the list of public places on Monday with the requirement, “If we’re going to stop the delta variant, now is the time.” New Orleans vaccine mandate for all indoor venues and outdoor gatherings more than 500 people went into effect Monday. San Francisco’s full vaccination for indoor activities will be mandatory starting Friday.
New York state and DC have both become the latest areas to mandate vaccinations for medical workers, with both announcing warrants on Monday. Similar measures were previously announced in California and Washington state.
Tennessee governor orders schools to allow student mask removals
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Monday announced he was enacting an executive order requiring schools to allow parents to exempt their children from mask warrants, a move that follows outcry from some Tory lawmakers over district masking policies for students. In a statement Monday evening, Nashville Metropolitan Schools principal Adrienne Battle said the district would continue to require masks for now.
“Universal masking policies, during the pandemic, are a key mitigation strategy to do just that. Allowing anyone to opt out of these policies for any reason, other than a legitimate medical need, would render them ineffective and require quarantining more students and kept out of the classroom, ”Battle said.
Public health, politics and education formed an uncomfortable mix in many parts of the country on Monday. Confusion reigned in several school districts in Texas after the state Supreme Court stopped mask warrants in two of the largest districts before the first day of school in Dallas. An Arizona judge has, at least temporarily, upheld a mask warrant in a Phoenix district despite a new state law prohibiting such requirements. A Colorado county posted sheriff’s assistants to schools on the first day of classes as a precaution after parents protested a last-minute mask warrant.
– Natalie Allison, Nashville Tennessee
Contributors: Elizabeth Weise and Mike Stucka, USA TODAY; Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID Vaccine Recall To Begin September After FDA Approval: Updates
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