US reports highest weekly COVID-19 vaccinations since July 4

There were over 7 million shots in the past week, an official said Saturday.

ByEmily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: October 11, 2021, 12:45 AM EDT

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

More than 712,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.8 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 66% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Oct 07, 2021, 12:35 PM EDT

Hospitalizations drop but deaths remain high

Hospitalizations in the U.S. have dropped from 104,000 to about 69,000 over the last five weeks, according to federal data.

More than a third of the drop was in Florida, where there are about 13,000 fewer patients compared to just over one month ago.

Members of a COVID medical team transport a COVID-19 positive patient to their room at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Fla., Sept. 21, 2021.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters, FILE

Daily COVID-19-related hospital admissions are also down nationally by 13.6% in the last week, according to federal data.

But states like Alaska and West Virginia, are still experiencing record-breaking surges, while Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, Idaho and Texas still have ICU capacities near 10%.

A registered nurse cares for a patient in a trauma room at the Upper Tanana Health Center, Sept. 22, 2021, in Tok, Ala.
Rick Bowmer/AP, FILE

Overnight, the U.S. reported nearly 2,000 COVID-19 related fatalities. 

Around 1,400 virus-related deaths are being reported each day, which is nearly 7.5 times higher than in mid-July, according to federal data.

Texas is reporting thousands of deaths each week.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

Oct 07, 2021, 9:00 AM EDT

United expects travel surge in December

United Airlines expects a travel surge and plans to fly 3,500 daily domestic flights in December, making it the largest schedule since the start of the pandemic.

Flight searches for the holidays are up 16% on the airline's website and app compared to 2019.

Florida and ski resorts are expected to be the hottest destinations.

-ABC News' Sam Sweeney

Oct 07, 2021, 8:20 AM EDT

Pfizer submits kids vaccine emergency use authorization request to FDA

Pfizer has submitted an emergency use authorization to the FDA for use of its vaccine in children ages 5 to 11.

First grade students of teacher Marcela Tiscareno return to the classroom at the 9th Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, April 13, 2021.
Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, FILE

The FDA will have a public hearing on Oct. 26.

Shots for children 5 to 11 may be available by early November. 

-ABC News' Eric M. Strauss

Oct 06, 2021, 5:59 PM EDT

New rapid test to cost less than $10

The planned retail cost for the newly approved over-the-counter rapid home COVID-19 test, "Flowflex," will be "less than $10 per test," White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said at Wednesday's briefing

ACON, the manufacturers of Flowflex, confirmed with ABC News that the White House's statement is in line with their current estimated pricing.

The company told ABC News their goal when creating the at-home test was to make it, "more accessible and more affordable than the other over-the-counter tests in the market."

By comparison the two rapid test kits currently out on the market --Abbott's BinaxNow and Quidel's Quickvue-- each retail for $23.99.

Both BinaxNow and Quickvue kits come two tests, so that a person can test themselves twice over the course of a couple days. That means each individual test costs around $12 each.

-ABC News' Sasha Pezenik

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