Nearly 74% of eligible Americans have at least 1 COVID-19 vaccine dose

In 13 states, over 80% of the population has at least one dose, CDC data shows.

Last Updated: September 13, 2021, 12:02 AM EDT

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

More than 655,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.6 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 62.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Sep 09, 2021, 6:13 PM EDT

DHS increases fines for not wearing masks on airplanes, public transportation

The Department of Homeland Security announced it is doubling monetary penalties for those caught in violation of the federal mask mandate aboard various transportation methods, including in airports, on planes and passenger trains.

The new fines, which take effect Friday, will be $500 to $1,000 for first-time offenders and $1,000 to $3,000 for second-time offenders.

"We appreciate the majority of travelers each day who voluntarily follow the requirement, but find this action necessary to maximize the protections for those who use and work within the transportation system, and to contain COVID-19," Transportation Security Administration chief David Pekoske said in a statement. "By doubling the range of penalties, we seek to reinforce the importance of voluntary adherence."

Travelers make their way through the Miami International Airport before starting the Labor Day weekend on Sept. 3, 2021.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images, FILE

The doubled fines are part of President Joe Biden's six-point plan to fight COVID announced Thursday. He also announced the mask mandate on public transportation would be extended until Jan. 18, 2022.

There have been 3,057 "mask-related incidents" on planes since the beginning of the year, as of Sept. 7, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

"I'm announcing that the Transportation Safety Administration, the TSA, will double the fines on travelers that refuse to mask," Biden said during a speech Thursday. "If you break the rules, be prepared to pay. And by the way, show some respect. The anger you see on television toward flight attendants and others doing their jobs is wrong. It’s ugly."

Sep 09, 2021, 5:52 PM EDT

Biden to unvaccinated Americans: 'The time for waiting is over'

President Joe Biden addressed the millions of Americans who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 while outlining his new six-part strategy to combat the delta variant.

"My message to unvaccinated Americans is this: What more is there to wait for? What more do you need to see?" Biden said during remarks from the White House Thursday evening. "We've made vaccinations free, safe and convenient. The vaccine has FDA approval. Over 200 million Americans have gotten at least one shot. We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us. So, please, do the right thing."

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on plans to stop the spread of the Delta variant and boost COVID-19 vaccinations at the State Dinning Room of the White House, in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 9, 2021.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

The White House plan includes a requirement that all federal government employees and contractors be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The Department of Labor is also developing an emergency rule for businesses with 100 or more employees to require that their workers be vaccinated or undergo testing at least once a week.

The measures "are going to take time to have full impact," Biden said. "But if we implement them, I believe and the scientists indicate, that the months ahead we can reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans, decrease hospitalizations and deaths and allow our children to go to school safely and keep our economy strong by keeping businesses open."

"The time for waiting is over," he said.

Sep 09, 2021, 4:39 PM EDT

Texas breaks its daily death toll record

Texas has broken its daily death toll record with 408 new fatalities, according to state data.

The previous record was 387 daily deaths in January.

Lab manager Robyn Schuman holds blood samples to be tested for Covid-19 at the Bellville Medical Center, in Bellville, Texas, Sept. 1, 2021.
Francois Picard/AFP via Getty Images

Texas currently has 321 children in the hospital with COVID-19.

-ABC News' Gina Sunseri

Sep 09, 2021, 3:30 PM EDT

Biden's plan requires businesses with 100+ employees to require vaccine or weekly testing

In President Joe Biden's Thursday address he'll announce that all businesses with 100 or more employees must require vaccinations or weekly testing. Businesses that don't comply could be fined, according to a senior administration official. 

“The new vaccination requirements in the president's plan cover about 100 million workers -- that's two-thirds of all workers in the United States,” a senior administration official said on a briefing call with reporters Thursday afternoon. 

A nurse gives a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shot to Luis Nufio, an after-school coach, at a Los Angeles Unified School-based mobile vaccination clinic at Eagle Rock High School on Aug. 30, 2021, in Eagle Rock, Calif.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Polaris, FILE

Biden's also looking to make testing more accessible and affordable. Walmart, Amazon and Kroger will sell at-home rapid tests at-cost for the next three months, meaning the price will drop about 35%.

The mask mandate for interstate travel and on federal property will stay in place through Jan. 18 2022, and the fine for violations will be doubled, the official said.

Biden will address the public at 5 p.m. ET.

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky

Related Topics