Jesse Jackson, wife hospitalized with COVID-19

The civil rights pioneer was vaccinated in January.

Last Updated: August 23, 2021, 7:23 AM EDT

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

More than 628,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.4 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 59.9% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Aug 16, 2021, 10:20 PM EDT

El Paso sues state of Texas over ban on mask mandates

The city of El Paso has filed a lawsuit challenging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in the state to allow for local protective measures to be ordered in the county.

Starting Wednesday at 12:01 a.m., a local health authority order will mandate that all individuals over the age of 2 wear some form of face covering while in public indoor spaces.

The parents of children under the age of 10 will be responsible for appropriately masking their children while outside their home, city officials said.

The order comes after El Paso City-County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza recommended masks at all indoor facilities in the county.

A face covering is not required on those who are eating or drinking or anyone who has trouble breathing, has a medical condition or disability that prevents wearing a face covering.

-ABC News’ James Scholz.

Aug 16, 2021, 9:41 PM EDT

2nd field hospital to open in Mississippi following record-number of hospitalizations

Another field hospital with critical care capacity is now under construction on the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s campus – just days after the first in the state was opened in the parking garage of the medical center.

The opening comes in response to a record number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations across the state, and an "increasingly dire" crisis, the hospital said on Monday.

On Monday, Samaritan’s Purse began setting up the second surge facility for adult patients in another parking lot on the UMMC campus. Medical staff from the organization will provide care for up to 32 patients at a time. The facility will include five intensive care beds.

"We have approximately 30 patients statewide, including upwards of 10 individuals at UMMC, waiting for ICU beds at any given time," Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor of health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine at UMMC, said in a statement. "These startling numbers prove just how critical the COVID-19 crisis is in the state."

Hospitals around the state will continue to transfer severely ill COVID-19 patients to UMMC for a higher level of care.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Aug 16, 2021, 8:21 PM EDT

Thousands of students, staff under isolation or quarantine in 1 Florida county

One Florida school district is facing a dire situation among students and staff just days after the school year began.

Hillsborough County Public Schools, which includes the city of Tampa, announced Monday that 5,599 students and 316 school employees are currently either in isolation or quarantine.

Isolation refers to individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19, while quarantine refers to those who have had close contact with a positive case.

The school board will be holding an emergency meeting on Wednesday, in which the possibility of mandatory face coverings will be discussed, school officials said.

-ABC News’ Victoria Arancio

Aug 16, 2021, 8:04 PM EDT

Georgia governor pleads with unvaccinated

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is pleading with residents who have not been vaccinated to get the COVID-19 shot.

The state reported more than 14,000 new cases of the virus over the weekend, prompting Kemp to announce during a news conference Monday that state employees would be given the day off on Sept. 3 to get vaccinated ahead of Labor Day weekend.

The new surge in positive cases will not affect businesses, Kemp assured.

-ABC News' Cherise Rudy

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