COVID-19 updates: No unemployment benefits for vaccine refusal in this state

The state just announced new COVID emergency plans.

ByJulia Jacobo, Ivan Pereira, Emily Shapiro, Morgan Winsor, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: September 23, 2021, 10:49 AM EDT

The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.

More than 686,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.7 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. The average number of daily deaths in the U.S. has risen about 20% in the last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The U.S. is continuing to sink on the list of global vaccination rates, currently ranking No. 46, according to data compiled by The Financial Times. Just 64.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.

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Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Sep 23, 2021, 10:49 AM EDT

West Virginia, Montana case rates doubled in last month as Alaska sees record highs

Alaska currently has the country's highest case rate, followed by West Virginia, Wyoming, Kentucky, Montana and South Carolina, according to federal data.

A visitor walks past artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg's "In America: Remember," a temporary art installation made up of white flags to commemorate Americans who have died of COVID-19, on the National Mall in Washington, Sept. 22, 2021.
Patrick Semansky/AP

West Virginia and Montana have seen their case rates double over the last month. In Alaska, case metrics are at record highs, according to federal data.

Hospital admissions are down by about 12.5% in the last week, with improvements in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana, according to federal data.

A nurse tends to a 2-month-old on a ventilator for respiratory failure because of COVID-19 at Children's Hospital New Orleans, Aug. 18, 2021.
New York Times via Redux, FILE

Seven states, however, have less than 10% ICU availability: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Texas.

Even highly vaccinated states are experiencing shortages. One central Massachusetts health system, UMass Memorial Health, is running low on critical care beds following the admission of an influx of COVID-19 patients in recent weeks.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

Sep 23, 2021, 8:21 AM EDT

Team USA to require COVID-19 vaccination at future Olympic and Paralympic Games

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said it will require every member of its delegation to be vaccinated against COVID-19, starting this year.

According to a new policy posted on Team USA's website, a COVID-19 vaccine mandate will take effect on Nov. 1 for "all employees, athletes, contractors and others," unless they obtain a medical or religious exemption prior to accessing U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee facilities.

Participants wave flags with the logos of 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics before a launch ceremony to reveal the motto for the Games in Beijing, China, on Sept. 17, 2021.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP

On Dec. 1, that mandate will "extend to all Team USA delegation members or hopefuls for future Games." Individuals on the long list for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination by this date or have received an exemption in order to participate in the upcoming Games, according to the policy, which was dated Sept. 21.

"The health and well-being of our Olympic and Paralympic community continues to be a top priority," Team USA says on a webpage detailing the new requirement. "This step will increase our ability to create a safe and productive environment for Team USA athletes and staff, and allow us to restore consistency in planning, preparation and optimal service to athletes."

Sep 23, 2021, 6:38 AM EDT

COVID-19 hospitalizations reach another all-time high in Iowa for 2021

More people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa than at any other point this year so far, according to weekly data released by the Iowa Department of Public Health on Wednesday.

The data shows that there are now 638 people hospitalized with the disease statewide, up from 578 last week. Although the figure is nowhere near Iowa's peak of more than 1,500 in mid-November last year, it's the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations that the Hawkeye State has recorded since December.

Sylena Blanchard, a critical care nurse at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, enters the room of a COVID-19 patient, Sept. 3, 2021, in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Register via USA Today, FILE

Of those currently hospitalized, 161 patients were in intensive care, according to the data.

More than 65% of Iowa residents ages 18 and over are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, data shows.

Sep 22, 2021, 7:48 PM EDT

FDA authorizes Pfizer booster dose for those who are 65 and up, high-risk 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized a third booster dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for people who are 65 and older or at high risk of severe COVID-19, the agency announced Wednesday.

The dose is authorized to be administered at least six months after the second shot. High-risk recipients must be at least 18 years old.

The announcement comes days after a similar recommendation from FDA advisers. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's advisory board is scheduled to vote on booster recommendations Thursday.