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 07, 2021, 2:39 PM EDT

San Francisco restaurants closing 'like PTSD again'

Several San Francisco restaurants have been forced to temporarily close due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. 

Aziza, a Moroccan restaurant in the Outer Richmond area, closed after several employees' breakthrough cases.

Tosca in North Beach partially reopened Friday after a staff member was exposed to COVID-19. The restaurant closed for a few days to get everyone tested in San Francisco, Calif., Aug. 6, 2021.
KGO

“We’ve been closed a week, and we’ll be closed probably another week,” co-owner Scott Chilcutt told ABC San Francisco station KGO. He mandated the vaccine for employees in the spring, but three staffers still recently tested positive even after getting shots. 

Laurie Thomas, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, said there’s only been a handful of recent closures, but each is painful.

"It’s like PTSD again," she said.

Aug 07, 2021, 11:41 AM EDT

7-day average of daily US vaccinations highest since June

The nation’s current seven-day average of 481,000 new COVID-19 vaccinations a day is the highest rate recorded since June 18, White House COVID Data Director Cyrus Shahpar said. 

More young Americans are getting shots as well, with the daily average of 12-to-15-year-olds doubling over the last month.

Aug 07, 2021, 10:51 AM EDT

Florida reports over 134,000 new COVID-19 cases in past week

Florida’s COVID-19 cases have continued to soar week after week, with 134,506 new virus cases reported over the past week, according to the state Department of Health. 

Medical personnel conduct Covid-19 testing at a "drive-through" site in Miami, on August 3, 2021.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

That beats last week’s weekly record of 110,420 new infections. 

Now the weekly case positivity rate in the state stands at 18.9%. There were also 175 virus deaths reported over the past week. 

-ABC News’ Joshua Hoyos

Aug 06, 2021, 11:49 PM EDT

409 positive cases at Tokyo Olympics

As of Saturday, there are 409 positive COVID-19 cases at the Olympics, According to Tokyo 2020's coronavirus case list.

That is an increase of 22 cases since Friday.

All of the people who tested positive are either Games-concerned personnel, Tokyo 2020 contractors, media or volunteers. One Games-concerned employee was in the Olympic Village at the time of their positive test.

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