'Steady increase' in vaccines in past month, White House says

The U.S. saw its largest single-day increase in nearly nine months Friday.

ByEmily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, Morgan Winsor, and Marlene Lenthang
Last Updated: August 2, 2021, 7:10 AM EDT

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

More than 613,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 57.9% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC on Tuesday, citing new science on the transmissibility of the delta variant, changed its mask guidance to now recommend everyone in areas with substantial or high levels of transmission -- vaccinated or not -- wear a face covering in public, indoor settings.

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Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Jul 27, 2021, 4:10 PM EDT

CDC reverses guidance on masks for vaccinated people  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday reversed its mask guidance for vaccinated people due to the delta variant surge. 

PHOTO: People wear face coverings as they gather in Union Station on July 19, 2021, in Los Angeles.
People wear face coverings as they gather in Union Station on July 19, 2021, in Los Angeles.
Mario Tama/Getty Images, FILE

Vaccinated Americans should now wear masks inside if they’re in places with substantial or high transmission, the CDC said.

A restaurant worker holds his face mask in Biloxi, Miss., March 5, 2021.
Rogelio V. Solis/AP, FILE

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said data show that on "rare occasions, some vaccinated people with the delta variant … may be contagious and spread the virus to others. This new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations."

Walensky added, "This moment -- and most importantly -- the associated illness, suffering and death, could have been avoided with higher vaccination coverage in this country."

People wear masks as they pass through a pedestrian subway as cases of the infectious coronavirus Delta variant continue to rise in New York, July 26, 2021.
Andrew Kelly/Reuters

In May, the CDC said vaccinated Americans could stop wearing masks indoors.

The CDC also said Tuesday that masks should be worn in schools by all students, teachers, staff and visitors, even for those who are vaccinated. The CDC said students should return to full-time in-person learning this year with prevention strategies in place.

President Joe Biden in a statement called the CDC's new rules "another step on our journey to defeating this virus."

"While we have seen an increase in vaccinations in recent days, we still need to do better," he added.

-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Eric Strauss

Jul 27, 2021, 3:42 PM EDT

NYC hospital mandating vaccines for staff

New York City’s Hospital for Special Surgery is requiring its staff be vaccinated as of Sept. 15.

Only staff with a medical or religious reason will be exempt, the hospital said Tuesday.

Jul 27, 2021, 2:03 PM EDT

Cal State requiring vaccinations

California State University, the nation’s largest university system that’s home to nearly 500,000 students, will require vaccinations for in-person students, staff and faculty.

A healthcare worker administers a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a drive-through clinic at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in Northridge, Calif., May 13, 2021.
Jill Connelly/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE

"The current surge in COVID cases due to the spread of the highly infectious delta variant is an alarming new factor that we must consider as we look to maintain the health and well-being of students, employees and visitors to our campuses this fall," CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro said in a statement Tuesday.

Jul 27, 2021, 1:10 PM EDT

Louisiana reports 2nd highest daily case count since January

Louisiana is in a "continued surge," logging 6,797 new daily cases on Tuesday, the second highest single-day case count since Jan. 6, the state’s Department of Health said.

The department said 99.56% of the cases are linked to community spread, not congregate settings like nursing homes.

New Orleans city officials said Monday that hospital capacity in the region and the state are being stretched to the limits due to a large uptick in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. New Orleans officials said 97% of the hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the state are unvaccinated.

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