The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 643,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 61.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here's how the news was developing. All times Eastern.
Aug 31, 2021, 3:28 PM EDT
Only 4 adult ICU beds left in Idaho: Governor
Idaho only has four adult ICU beds available in the state, Gov. Brad Little said Tuesday.
The governor said he toured a nearly-full ICU in Boise where everyone was unvaccinated.
"What I saw was heartbreaking," Little said at a news conference. "I was told the average age of the patients was 43. All of them were struggling to breathe and most were only breathing with the help of a machine. Doctors, nurses and associated medical staff are exhausted."
The governor said up to 370 additional staff, including up to 150 National Guardsmen, will be deployed to help short-staffed hospitals manage the surge.
Aug 31, 2021, 2:45 PM EDT
Google extends work from home policy
Google is extending its work from home policy until Jan. 10, 2022.
"Googlers will only be expected to return at that time as it’s deemed safe to do so in their country, and will be given 30 days notice to prepare before the voluntary WFH period ends," the company said.
Google is also allowing employees to temporarily work from a location other than their main officer for up to four weeks per year.
-ABC News'Taylor Dunn
Aug 31, 2021, 2:31 PM EDT
Masks to be required in Pennsylvania schools
Masks will be required in all Pennsylvania schools and child care programs effective Sept. 7, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Tuesday.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf speaks during the press conference, April 26, 2021, in Reading, PA.
Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images, FILE
"My office has received an outpouring of messages from parents asking us to protect children by requiring masks in schools," Wolf tweeted. "I preferred for local school boards to make this decision. But an aggressive nationwide campaign is pressuring school districts to adopt unsafe policies."
Aug 31, 2021, 1:14 PM EDT
US now approaching January's hospitalization peak
Mississippi has the country's highest COVID-19 case rate, followed by Florida, Kentucky and Louisiana, according to federal data.
With more than 101,000 Americans now hospitalized with COVID-19, the U.S. is steadily approaching its hospitalization peak from early January, when more than 125,000 patients were hospitalized at one time, according to federal data.
A nurse enters a Covid-19 patient's room inside the ICU (intensive care unit) at Adventist Health in Sonora, Calif., Aug. 27, 2021.
Nic Coury/AFP via Getty Images
A little over two months ago, less than 12,000 patients were in U.S. hospitals, according to federal data.
But there has been improvement when it comes to vaccinations.
A woman holds up a sticker after getting her third "booster" dose of Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic hosted by The Tournament of Roses in partnership with the Pasadena Public Health Department, Aug. 19, 2021, in Pasadena, California.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
One week after the FDA fully approved the Pfizer vaccine, initial data from an ABC News analysis indicates that the U.S. has seen a slight uptick in the average number of Americans going out to get their first vaccine dose.
In the week prior to the full approval, an average of about 404,000 Americans were initiating vaccination each day.Now, about 473,000 Americans are getting their first shot each day -- a 17% increase.
