Nearly 600 patients wait for hospital beds in Houston following surge in COVID cases

WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday announced Solidarity PLUS, a new trial involving thousands of researchers in 52 countries to test three drugs as potential COVID treatments: artesunate, a treatment for severe malaria; imatinib, a drug for certain cancers; and infliximab, a treatment for immune system disorders such as Crohn’s disease.

In October, the WHO reported results of the Solidarity Trial, which tested four drugs as potential COVID-19 treatments: remdesevir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir and interferon. The trial, which involved nearly 13,000 patients in 30 countries, showed all four drugs had little or no effect on hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Final results from the Solidarity Trial are expected next month.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday strengthened its recommendation for vaccines during pregnancy.

The CDC's update is based on new evidence that the vaccine officially poses no safety concerns for pregnant people vaccinated late in pregnancy, or for their babies, and no increased risk for miscarriage. The CDC also found no increased risk of miscarriage among people who got vaccinated during the first trimester.

Pregnant people were not initially included in the clinical studies for the vaccines so the CDC couldn't definitively say vaccines were safe and effective -- though it's long been recommended by officials. Last week, two of the nation's leading women's health organizations, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), came out in full support of vaccinations for pregnant people.

Just 23% of pregnant people received one dose of a vaccine during pregnancy as of July 31, according to CDC data.

-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett

The daily case average in the U.S. has surged to more than 110,000, a 25.5% jump in the last week, according to federal data.

The U.S. has reported over 770,000 cases in the last week, marking the highest weekly total in months.

Every state in the country is now reporting high (a seven-day new case rate ≥100) or substantial (a seven-day new case rate between 50-99.99) community transmission, according to federal data.

Hospitalizations in the U.S. have climbed to the highest point in six months. About 9,300 patients are being admitted each day, the highest number of patients seeking care since April.

Pediatric COVID-19-related admissions per capita are also at their highest point of the pandemic.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

In Philadelphia, all city employees must be vaccinated or will be required to double-mask while working in enclosed spaces as of Sept. 1, Mayor Jim Kenney said.

The mayor on Wednesday also announced a new mask mandate that'll go into effect Thursday for indoor places where vaccines aren't required. The mandate also applies to non-seated outdoor events with over 1,000 people.

While COVID-19 cases in Philadelphia aren't as severe as many other cities, acting Philadelphia health commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said over 100 COVID-19 patients are now in city hospitals, the highest number since early June.