Protests against mandated COVID-19 vaccines pop up across US

Two of the nation's largest hardware chains announced new rules when it comes to masking among their employees and customers.

Both Home Depot and Lowes said it will require all of their associates, contractors and vendors to wear a mask while inside one of their stores, warehouses or other facilities, effective Monday. The rule also applies if the employees are working in a customer's home or business.

When it comes to customers, each chain had its own rules.

Home Depot said it will "ask customers to wear masks while in our stores and continue to offer masks to those who don’t have one." Lowes said its stores "will have signs encouraging customers to wear masks, and free masks will continue to be available for customers who request them."

-ABC News' Brian Hartman

Northwell Health, the latest health provider in New York state, announced it will require all employees to get the coronavirus vaccine, or face regular weekly testing, a spokesperson told ABC News.

The policy goes into effect on Aug. 16.

Northwell, which operates 23 hospitals and more than 830 outpatient facilities in New York and has over 76,000 employees, was already requiring new hires to be vaccinated.

As of Monday, 77% of the health provider's entire staff were vaccinated, the company said in a statement.

Those who fail to get tested "in a timely manner" will face disciplinary action, including termination, according to the spokesperson. 

"We believe it is our obligation to set an example for the community by getting our team members vaccinated," Northwell said in a statement.

-ABC News' Sasha Pezenik

White House COVID coordinator Jeff Zients touted the recent increase in vaccine rates across the country during a briefing Monday.

He said last week the U.S. reached its highest day seven-day average of vaccinations since July 4th, and 3 million Americans got their first shot in the past seven days.

Zients noted that the most significant increases were in the states with the highest COVID-19 rates, where vaccination rates have doubled and, in some cases, tripled.

"Louisiana has seen a 302% increase in the average number of newly vaccinated per day, Mississippi, 250%, Alabama 215% and Arkansas 206%," Zients said.

He reiterated that the jump in vaccines will help to bring cases down throughout the country.

-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett

The town leader of Provincetown, Massachusetts, said the city is "well on our way to containment" following the outbreak of over 880 COVID-19 cases since July.

Provincetown Town Manager Alex Morse said in a Facebook post Monday evening that the total number of active cases among Provincetown residents decreased to 59.

Positivity rates have been under 5% the last three days, down from a peak of 15% on July 15, according to Morse.

"The number of people recovering each day far exceeds the number of new cases being added. We are optimistic this will continue," Morse wrote.

As of Monday, 882 people, including 231 Provincetown residents, have contracted the coronavirus since the cluster cases emerged following the Fourth of July weekend.

Only seven hospitalizations associated with this cluster have been reported to date two of whom were out of state residents, and those patients have been released, health officials told ABC News. No deaths from this cluster have been reported so far, Morse wrote.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos