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

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

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.

Jul 30, 2021, 3:38 AM EDT

Number of positive cases at Tokyo Olympics reaches 225

There are now 225 positive COVID-19 cases at the Tokyo Olympics, according to a tally kept by Olympics organizers.

That is an increase of 27 cases since Thursday. 

Of those cases, three of them are athletes. Two were in the Olympic Village at the time of their positive case, and one was not.

Jul 29, 2021, 6:25 PM EDT

Minnesota to offer $100 for shots following Biden call

After President Joe Biden called on states to offer $100 to those who get vaccinated, Gov. Tim Walz said Minnesota would do just that.

"Good idea, @POTUS," Walz tweeted Thursday evening, following the president's COVID-19 vaccine address. "Starting July 30, every Minnesotan who gets vaccinated will get $100! All you have to do is roll up your sleeves."

Under the new incentive program, Minnesotans ages 12 and up who receive their first dose between Friday and Aug. 15 will be eligible for a $100 Visa gift card.

Jul 29, 2021, 4:00 PM EDT

Biden calls on states to offer $100 to those who get vaccinated

President Joe Biden is urging local governments to offer $100 to those who get vaccinated with funding from the American Rescue Plan.

Biden will also announce Thursday that all federal government employees and outside contractors will be asked to "attest to their vaccination status," and those who aren’t vaccinated must social distance, get tested once or twice a week and wear a mask at work no matter where they live. This includes members of the Armed Forces and National Guard.

Biden's also set to announce that small and medium businesses will be reimbursed for giving employees paid leave to get their family members vaccinated.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Jul 29, 2021, 2:54 PM EDT

US approaching same case, hospitalization levels as 1 year ago

One year ago, the U.S. was beginning to see a downturn in COVID-19 cases following a summer surge. On July 27, 2020, the U.S. was averaging about 63,400 new COVID-19 cases per day.

Now, one year later, the U.S. case average is trending in the wrong direction, averaging nearly 62,000 new cases a day.

A six-year-old boy waves to his father from outside his hospital room on July 26, 2021, in Osage Beach, Mo.
Sarah Blake Morgan/AP

The new infection average is up by 64.1% in the last week and 440% since mid-June.

Hospitalization levels are also nearing last summer’s numbers. More than 33,000 COVID-19 patients are now receiving care, close to the 37,000 patients hospitalized on Aug. 1, 2020.

Daily deaths, however, are significantly lower now than they were last summer.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

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