Protests against mandated COVID-19 vaccines pop up across US

Pushback is happening over vaccine requirements and mask mandates.

ByEmily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, Erin Schumaker, and Marlene Lenthang
Last Updated: August 8, 2021, 11:56 PM EDT

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

More than 615,000 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 58.4% 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 last week, 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.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Aug 03, 2021, 8:55 AM EDT

US ships more than 100 million vaccine doses abroad

The Biden administration has hit a vaccine-sharing milestone, shipping more than 110 doses to over 60 countries around the world, mostly through COVAX, the World Health Organization's vaccine-sharing initiative. The U.S. has shared more doses than every other country combined, according to United Nations data. 

Starting at the end of August, the U.S. will begin shipping another batch of 500 million doses of Pfizer to 100 low-income countries across the globe. Two-hundred million of those 500 million doses are expected to be shipped in 2021.

-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Aug 03, 2021, 8:24 AM EDT

Arkansas sees highest increase in hospitalizations since start of pandemic

Another 81 COVID-19 patients were admitted to Arkansas hospitals on Monday, the highest increase in hospitalizations since the beginning of the pandemic, Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted.

Nurses transport a COVID-19 patient on a ventilator at a hospital in Mountain Home, Ark., July 8, 2021.
Erin Schaff/The New York Times via Redux, FILE

The state now has 1,220 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, including 250 on ventilators.

"We continue to see nearly all hospitalizations among the unvaccinated," the governor wrote. "Hospitals are full & the only remedy is for more Arkansans to be vaccinated."

Aug 02, 2021, 7:43 PM EDT

Kaiser Permanente issues vaccine mandate for employees

Kaiser Permanente, the country's largest nonprofit health care organization, announced Monday that it will require all its employees and physicians to be vaccinated.

The organization, which has facilities in eight states and the District of Columbia, said the move was done to protect its workforce and patients from the rising delta variant.

As of July 31, 77.8% of 216,000 Kaiser Permanente employees and more than 95% of 23,000 Permanente Medical Group physicians have been fully vaccinated, the company said.

Kaiser Permanente set a target of Sept. 30 for all of its employees to be vaccinated. It will allow exceptions for medical and religious reasons.

Aug 02, 2021, 7:07 PM EDT

Home Depot, Lowes issues mask requirement for associates

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

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