Jesse Jackson, wife hospitalized with COVID-19

The civil rights pioneer was vaccinated in January.

ByEmily Shapiro, Julia Jacobo, Morgan Winsor, Erin Schumaker, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: August 17, 2021, 5:09 PM 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 17, 2021, 4:57 PM EDT

Texas governor tests positive

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a border security briefing with sheriffs from border communities at the Texas State Capitol, July 10, 2021, in Austin, Texas.
Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images, FILE

The governor is fully vaccinated and has no symptoms, his office said, adding that he's been tested daily.

Abbott is receiving Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment, his office said.

"Everyone that the Governor has been in close contact with today has been notified," his office said.

Abbott has banned mask and vaccination mandates in Texas.

According to The Houston Chronicle, the governor gave a speech Monday night to a crowd of about 600 people where there was little social distancing or mask-wearing.

Aug 17, 2021, 4:29 PM EDT

Hospitalizations could reach 32,800 per day by Sept. 1: Forecast

The U.S. could see as many as 32,800 hospitalizations per day by Sept. 13, according to the COVID-19 Forecast Hub at U Mass Amherst, which is used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The low end of the forecast is 9,000 per day.

Dr. Julie Watson, Chief Medical Officer for INTEGRIS Health, speaks during a joint news conference from Oklahoma City area health providers, Aug. 18, 2021, in Oklahoma City.
Sue Ogrocki/AP

Currently, more than 11,249 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19 each day in the U.S., up from a daily average of 8,300 last week.

These forecasts suggest Florida, Louisiana and Texas hospitalizations may improve in coming weeks while other states, like California and New York, may see more hospitalizations.

A man wears a facemask as he arrives at a subway station in New York, Aug. 2, 2021.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

-ABC News' Brian Hartman

Aug 17, 2021, 4:08 PM EDT

Mask mandate for US travel extended into January

The mask mandate for travelers on planes, trains and buses will be extended into January, according to a Department of Homeland Security source.

-ABC News' Sam Sweeney

Aug 17, 2021, 3:44 PM EDT

Most Florida hospitals expect 'critical staff shortages'

Three out of every four Florida hospitals "expect to face critical staff shortages" in the next week as hospitalizations likely continue to rise, Florida Hospital Association President and CEO Mary Mayhew said in a statement Tuesday.

"Half of our hospitals will no longer accept transfer patients from other facilities," Mayhew added.

Hard-hit Florida currently has 16,521 COVID-19 patients in hospitals and just 14.2% of hospital beds available, according to federal data.

-ABC News' Brian Hartman

Related Topics