Live

COVID-19 live updates: Judge rules governor stop banning mask mandates in schools

Ten Florida school districts have adopted mask mandates for students this month.

Last Updated: August 25, 2021, 10:00 AM EDT

The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 634,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.4 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 60.8% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Aug 25, 2021, 10:00 AM EDT

Moderna finalizes submission to FDA for full approval

Moderna has finalized submission of its application to the Food and Drug Administration for full approval of its COVID-19 vaccine, the company announced Monday.

It's not yet clear how long the FDA will take to review Moderna’s application.

Pfizer completed its vaccine application in May and was granted full approval on Monday.

-ABC News' Eric Strauss

Aug 25, 2021, 7:00 AM EDT

J&J says its vaccine booster shot raises antibody levels 9-fold

In the midst of a delta variant surge, a new study finds that giving a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot six months after primary vaccination results in a nine-fold increase of a crucial antibody response, according to a company press release.

Meanwhile, a prior study found that people vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine still had a durable immune response at least eight months later, even without a booster.

PHOTO: A nurse fills a syringe with Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic hosted by The Tournament of Roses in partnership with the Pasadena Public Health Department, August 19, 2021 at Tournament House in Pasadena, California.
A nurse fills a syringe with Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic hosted by The Tournament of Roses in partnership with the Pasadena Public Health Department, August 19, 2021 at Tournament House in Pasadena, California. - The clinic is one of the first in the city to offer "supplemental" third Covid-19 shots to people with immunological conditions, according to organizers.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Collectively, the findings could help inform the U.S. government's recommendations about booster shots for the 14 million people who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Boosting after six months "appears to be safe, and boosts immune responses substantially," Dr. Dan Barouch, Ph.D., director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, told ABC News.

-ABC News' Sony Salzman

Aug 25, 2021, 3:53 AM EDT

COVID-19 cases rise among athletes at Tokyo Paralympics

Several Paralympic athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tokyo in recent days.

According to daily figures released by the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, at least eight positive cases have been confirmed among unnamed Paralympic athletes so far, with two new cases reported on Wednesday following the opening ceremony.

The logo of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games is seen displayed at 2020 Fan Park in Tokyo, Japan, on Aug. 25, 2021, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Issei Kato/Reuters

The 2020 Summer Paralympics officially opened in the Japanese capital on Tuesday, after a yearlong delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. Like the 2020 Olympics, which ended on Aug. 8, this year's Paralympics is taking place under a state of emergency as Japan struggles with a growing COVID-19 crisis.

Aug 24, 2021, 9:01 PM EDT

Another Florida school district issues mask mandate

Leaders of the Orange County public school system voted Tuesday to require a mask mandate for all students and staff.

The rule goes into effect on Aug. 30 and will last for at least two months. There will be exemptions for medical reasons.

School board members cited the growing COVID-19 rates and hospitalizations in the area as the reason for their decision.

Doctors are.

Related Topics