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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.

ByEmily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, Morgan Winsor, Erin Schumaker, Meredith Deliso, and Marlene Lenthang
Last Updated: August 25, 2021, 1:07 PM 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.

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Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Aug 25, 2021, 1:07 PM EDT

Hospitalizations at highest point in 7 months

There are now over 100,000 COVID-19 patients in U.S. hospitals, the most in seven months, according to federal data.

PHOTO: Medical staff attend to one of a COVID-19 patient on Aug. 20, 2021, in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach, Fla.
Medical staff attend to one of a COVID-19 patient on Aug. 20, 2021, in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach, Fla. The SICU is mainly for patients who have undergone a major surgery, but the unit has been transitioned to treat the surge of COVID patients over the last month.
Patrick Dove/TCPALM via USA Today Network

A nurse prepares to enter a room to treat a patient in the ICU COVID-19 ward at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro, Ark., Aug. 4, 2021.
Bloomberg via Getty Images

The rate of hospital admissions per capita among Americans 29 and younger is at the highest point of the pandemic, according to federal data.

Compared with July 4, six times as many children are being admitted to hospitals, and daily deaths are up 281% over the last six weeks to 775, according to federal data.

Eight states have ICUs over 90% full: Alabama (100%), Arkansas (89.58%), Florida (93.52%), Georgia (92.74%), Kentucky (89.33%), Mississippi (92.93%), Oklahoma (88.93%) and Texas (93.12%).

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

Aug 25, 2021, 12:44 PM EDT

NJ hospitalizations highest since May

The number of New Jersey residents hospitalized with COVID-10 has climbed to more than 1,000 for the first time since May 11, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday.

A healthcare worker exists from to the emergency room at Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus, N.J., Dec. 11, 2020.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

"We've come too far to go backward," the governor tweeted. "Get vaccinated and let's end this."

Aug 25, 2021, 11:50 AM EDT

Pentagon announces mandatory Pfizer vaccinations

The Pentagon on Wednesday announced mandatory Pfizer vaccinations, calling it "necessary to protect the safety of our service members and force."

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said 68% of the active duty force is fully vaccinated and just over 76% have had at least one dose.

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine was granted full approval by the FDA on Monday.

A United States Navy officer from the amphibious ship USS San Diego receives a vaccine against COVID-19 at the navy port in Manama, Bahrain in this picture taken Feb. 26, 2021.
Brandon Woods/U.S. Navy via Reuters, FILE

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

Aug 25, 2021, 10:37 AM EDT

Delta Air Lines raising health insurance premiums for unvaccinated employees

Delta is raising health insurance premiums for unvaccinated employees by $200 a month to cover COVID-19 costs like potential hospitalization, which the airline says has cost it $40,000 per person on average.

In recent weeks, all Delta employees hospitalized with COVID-19 were not fully vaccinated, Delta CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a memo to employees.

Currently 75% of Delta employees are vaccinated, according to the airline.

The health insurance premium begins Nov. 1.

Unvaccinated employees will also have to wear masks indoors and be required to take a weekly COVID test beginning Sept. 12.

-ABC News' Mina Kaji

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